Department for Transport

Bus Services and Taxis: Disability

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring all (a) bus, (b) taxi and (c) minicab drivers to undertake disability equality training.

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking in response to reports of discrimination by (a) bus, (b) taxi and (c) minicab drivers against (i) assistance dog owners and (ii) wheelchair users.

Trudy Harrison: All drivers of regular bus and coach services have been legally required to undertake disability awareness training since 2018. We expect all operators to comply with this requirement and the DVSA is responsible for identifying and investigating non-compliance.We also remain committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, we will shortly publish for consultation updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities, including a strengthened recommendation to require all taxi and PHV drivers to complete such training.In December 2020, we launched the REAL disability equality training package to improve the transport sector’s confidence and skills in delivering inclusive journeys for disabled passengers.

Transport: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the bridge in Eccles Heath, Norfolk, for what reason that bridge was closed for two years prior to repair works commencing; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure repair works on transport infrastructure is carried out in a timely manner.

Wendy Morton: Any closure to any part of the transport network should seek to minimise impacts on all users, but safety should always be the paramount consideration.In relation to the specific bridge at Eccles Heath in Norfolk, I understand Network Rail took the operational decision to restrict access for safety reasons, and that upon detailed investigation, required significantly more work than initially anticipated.My officials have today written to the Anglia Route Director at Network Rail, asking them to provide details of the closure and the lessons learnt – I will ensure this is shared with the Hon Member, as well as the Member for South West Norfolk.

Bicycles: Safety Measures

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring all bicycles to include a bell.

Trudy Harrison: Rule 66 of The Highway Code recommends that bells are fitted to cycles, and that people who cycle should always be considerate of other road users, including by calling out or ringing their bell if they have one. All cycles are required at point of sale to be fitted with a bell, but we do not intend to legislate to make the use of bells on cycles mandatory, as there are other ways for people who cycle to warn other road users of their presence.

Buses: Hydrogen

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the availability, by (a) green and (b) blue hydrogen, of hydrogen fuel sites capable of providing for hydrogen buses.

Trudy Harrison: As of December 2021, there are fourteen publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations across the UK that provide hydrogen suitable for use by vehicles. The information on suitability of access for all buses and the availability of green or blue hydrogen is not currently available.

Buses: Hydrogen

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's strategy is for rolling out hydrogen fuel infrastructure sites capable of sustaining hydrogen fuelled buses.

Trudy Harrison: Government remains committed to supporting the introduction of 4,000 zero emission buses (ZEB) with over £525 million funding available this Parliament. Through our Low and Ultra Low Emission Bus Schemes, Government is already supporting the deployment of over 60 hydrogen fuel cell buses in England. Many local areas are seeking funding to introduce hydrogen fuel cell buses and associated infrastructure through the £270m Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, which will award funding to successful areas through the standard track in spring 2022.

Department for Transport: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Andrew Stephenson: I can confirm that following the publication of the COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19 plan on 21 February the Department for Transport and its Agencies has taken steps to ensure our internal Covid-19 policies and principles align with the latest Government guidance.This includes the Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance published on 24 February. This continues to require organisations to carry out a risk assessment which includes the risk from COVID-19. It also sets out additional actions organisations can take to protect employees and customers in the workplace, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, frequent cleaning, asking people to wash their hands frequently and asking people with COVID-19 to stay away. The guidance advises that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, when rates of transmission are high.These principles align with the current advice provided by the Department and will support and reassure our employees that they can continue to return to the workplace in a safe and controlled way. Our policies will be updated to reflect any further changes in Government advice. This includes where there may be differences in approach in the devolved administrations.

A1: Nottinghamshire

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the A1(M) between Newark and its junction with the B6325 was last inspected for potholes; and when it is due to be resurfaced.

Trudy Harrison: National Highways’ inspectors carry out weekly safety inspections of the A1 between Newark and its junction with the B6325. The last inspection was carried out on 1st March 2022. Daily patrols are also carried out. Any potholes are treated in 24 hours and should further deterioration occur as identified through monitoring, then permanent repairs will take place, often within 28 days.National Highways continues to review the condition of the A1 between Newark and its junction with the B6325 along with other routes on the strategic road network to ensure that future works are prioritised according to need.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Horizon Europe

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will publish a regional breakdown of the successful applications to the Horizon programme.

George Freeman: As Horizon Europe only recently started, data on successful bids will be reviewed as the programme progresses. The regional distribution of funding under Horizon 2020 – the predecessor programme to Horizon Europe – is publicly available data. It can be seen in the table below. UK entities are already eligible to apply to Horizon Europe calls ahead of formal UK association to the programme. UK Regions% of UK receiptsLondon25.3%South East17.0%Scotland11.4%East of England11.3%South West7.9%Yorkshire and Humber6.3%North West6.1%West Midlands5.4%East Midlands3.1%North East2.9%Wales2.0%Northern Ireland1.0%

Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre: Sales

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish details of the proposed sale of the Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) including (a) which parts of VMIC are up for sale and (b) an estimate of the timeline for a sale to take place.

George Freeman: The Government is not selling the facility. VMIC Limited is a private company and has always been a private company. Any decisions and information regarding the future of the company and its facilities are the responsibility of the VMIC Board of Directors. The Government supported VMIC as part of our 2017 Life Science Strategy commitment to vaccines innovation, which the pandemic has dramatically accelerated.

OneWeb: Satellites

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding (a) Russian- or (b) Belarussian-owned entities received in connection with the OneWeb satellite launch; and what proportion of that sum came from public funding used to purchase OneWeb out of bankruptcy in 2020.

George Freeman: OneWeb’s launch contract is with Arianespace, a French company. As a non-majority shareholder in OneWeb (17.6%), we cannot comment on arrangements between Arianespace and its suppliers.

Energy: Disconnections

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2022 to Question 126893, what the most recent data is that his Department holds on self disconnection by (a) region and (b) UK nation.

Greg Hands: Data from Ofgem’s most recent Consumer Engagement Survey, published in April 2021, is displayed by the number of hours of disconnection nationally across Great Britain, not by region or UK nation.

Fuel Poverty

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether people living with cancer will qualify for the Government's proposed energy industry fund for low income disabled people at risk of fuel poverty.

Greg Hands: The Warm Home Discount is a key policy in the Government’s strategy to tackle fuel poverty. As announced in the Energy White Paper, the Government has consulted on reforming the scheme to better target fuel poverty and to provide the rebates automatically to households. The reforms include focusing support on households in receipt of qualifying means-tested benefits and with high energy costs. However, some households currently eligible for a rebate would lose out. Recognising that some disabled people and people with long-term illness may not be eligible for a rebate and yet are struggling with the costs of heating their homes, the Government has proposed to work with energy suppliers and third-party organisations to provide alternative financial support to low-income disabled people at risk of fuel poverty under the Industry Initiatives element of the scheme and subject to sufficient interest from energy suppliers. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.

Consumers: Billing

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has estimated the effect on consumer bills of the use of audited financial accounts and financial close announcements as a guide to underlying costs rather than strike prices.

Greg Hands: The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme operates as a competitive auction where the strike price successful participants receive is based on the clearing price, which is a product of bid prices. It is for developers to consider a bid price that is sustainable for their project, based on their own, forward-looking assessment of their likely project costs and revenues. Once projects begin generating, it is the difference between this strike price and the wholesale electricity price that drives any impact on consumer bills, and projects are only paid for the electricity they generate. This means that an assessment along the lines of what The Honourable Member for Wycombe proposes would not reflect assumptions consistent with actual costs likely to be paid by consumers. The Department publishes its own view of future electricity generation costs by technology – the latest version is from 2020, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020.

Wind Power: Offshore Industry

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the levelised cost of offshore wind farms commissioning in 2022.

Greg Hands: The Department’s Electricity Generation Cost Report[1] published on gov.uk sets out levelised cost of electricity estimates for a range of technologies, including offshore wind. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020

Renewable Energy

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the calculations underlying his Department’s most recent estimates of levelised costs of renewable generators.

Greg Hands: The Department’s most recent Electricity Generation Cost Report[1] published on gov.uk sets out the calculation methodology behind levelised cost estimates for renewable generators. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020

Energy: Consumption

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of whether energy consumption is likely to increase or decrease by October 2022.

Greg Hands: The UK’s energy consumption has been on a long-term downward trend as a result of improved energy efficiency and structural changes to the economy. This trend will continue as the economy transitions towards net zero emissions by 2050. Shorter-term fluctuations in energy consumption are highly weather dependent - energy consumption is lower in the spring and summer and then rises in the autumn and winter. Domestic energy consumers in Great Britain will receive a £200 discount on their energy bills this Autumn, part of the Government’s £9.1 billion package of support to help households with rising energy bills.

Green Deal Scheme: Compensation

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to compensate people who have been mis-sold Green Deals.

Greg Hands: Under the Green Deal Framework Regulations, the Secretary of State has the power to reduce or cancel loans where there has been a breach of the relevant rules, and he is satisfied that the consumer has suffered, or is likely to suffer, a substantive loss. This is the extent of the Secretary of State’s power with regard to breaches. The Department plans to review all outstanding Green Deal complaints so that the Secretary of State can take decisions on them, in line with the Regulations, as soon as possible.

Electricity: Standing Charges

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with OFGEM on the potential merits of removing standing charges for electricity.

Greg Hands: The setting of the standing charge is a commercial matter for individual suppliers. Standing charges are capped under the Government’s price cap.

Hydrogen: North West

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to ensure (a) investment in and (b) benefits for the local area from a hydrogen village in the North West by 2025.

Greg Hands: The location for the hydrogen heating village trial has not yet been decided. The Gas Distribution Network Operators submitted their outline proposals in December 2021. The Government is expecting that one or more of these proposals will require detailed planning during 2022, including understanding local impacts, before location selection in 2023.

Housing: Energy

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to legislate for more energy efficient homes.

Greg Hands: The Government remains committed to the Clean Growth Strategy ambition to upgrade as many homes as possible to EPC Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable. In the Net Zero Strategy, the department committed to consult on phasing in higher minimum standards across all sectors to meet this ambition. The Government has already consulted on raising the energy performance standard in domestic private rented sector to EPC Band C and how mortgage lenders could support homeowners in making upgrades. The Government will publish its response in due course. The Government will then seek primary powers to enable a long-term regulatory framework to improve the energy performance of homes. Huge progress is already being made to increase the energy efficiency of UK homes. In 2008, just 14% had an Energy Performance of C or above, however it is now at 46% and rising.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking in response to the recommendations of the National Audit Office’s review of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme.

Greg Hands: Based on the report by the National Audit Office and its recommendations, the Committee of Public Accounts took evidence from HM Treasury and the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy and published its report on the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme on 1 December 2021. The government response to the Committee’s report was published on 24 February with the government agreeing with all of the Committee’s recommendations.

Energy Intensive Industries: Carbon Emissions

Simon Fell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on the commitment in the Future of Carbon Pricing document to develop a long-term decarbonisation funding stream, funded by UK Emissions Trading Scheme auction income, to support Energy Intensive Industries.

Greg Hands: The Department remains committed to exploring long-term options for accelerating the decarbonisation of industry, while maintaining UK competitiveness. The Government has set out an ambitious package of support for industrial decarbonisation, including: the Industrial Decarbonisation and Hydrogen Revenue Support (IDHRS) scheme to fund the new hydrogen and industrial carbon capture (ICC) business models; the £1 billion CCUS Infrastructure Fund, the £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and the £289 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF). This support will enable the Government to meet its ambitions as set out in the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy and Hydrogen Strategy.

Energy: Russia

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the value of Russian energy imported to the UK for the latest twelve month period for which data is available.

Greg Hands: The UK and its international partners stand united in condemning the Russian state’s outrageous attack on Ukraine as a clear breach of international law and the UN Charter. The UK is not dependent on Russian gas. In 2021, less than 4% of the UK’s gas supply was Russian gas, via liquified natural gas imports.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Social Clubs

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will provide a list of (a) professional staff networks and (b) social clubs operating within his Department; and if he will provide the (i) budgets and (ii) FTE staff time allocated to each group within each of the last three years.

Conor Burns: We have taken the definition of professional staff networks to mean voluntary staff networks including employee networks on Diversity and Inclusion. The Northern Ireland Office currently has the following active networks: Staff Engagement GroupDiversity & Inclusion networkCulture ClubMirror Board The Northern Ireland Office does not operate any social clubs. No funding is provided and there is no allocation of FTE staff time allocated to any of the groups.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Social Clubs

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Attorney General, if he will provide a list of (a) professional staff networks and (b) social clubs operating within his Department; and if he will provide the (i) budgets and (ii) FTE staff time allocated to each group within each of the last three years.

Alex Chalk: The Attorney Gerneral’s Office does not have any professional staff networks or social clubs operating within the department.

Attorney General: Public Expenditure

Liam Byrne: To ask the Attorney General, if she will (a) list the spending programmes her Department devolves for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies and (b) specify the value for each programme for every year for which budgets are agreed.

Alex Chalk: The Attorney General’s Office does not have individual spending programmes which are devolved to local government or other local spending bodies.

Attorney General: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney General, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Alex Chalk: Throughout the pandemic, all Civil Service employers including the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Government Legal Department (GLD) and Her Majesties Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) have followed government guidance in setting out their internal COVID-19 related policies. This includes complying with the Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance which sets out the key actions organisations should take to protect employees and customers in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in workplaces, along with carrying out health and safety risk assessments that include the ongoing risk from COVID-19. The Government’s recent Living with COVID-19 document, sets out how and when the remaining restrictions will be lifted in England. Government guidance was subsequently amended, including the Working Safely guidance. Which alongside risk assessments, sets out further actions organisations can take to protect employees and customers in the workplace, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, frequent cleaning and asking people with COVID-19 to stay home. The guidance advises that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, when rates of transmission are high. Employers will continue to align their policies accordingly. Should individuals wish to wear masks as a matter of personal choice this should be respected.In respect to the SFO estate, The Canadian High Commission (CHC), in their capacity as landlord, have requested SFO employees, contractors and visitors continue to wear face coverings in the common areas of 2 – 4 Cockspur Street. This includes the lobby, lifts, stairs, toilets, and reception.

Rape: Convictions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney General, how many of the 1,109 convictions for rape recorded in the year ending March 2021 related to offences committed (a) before the year ending March 2018, (b) within the year 2018-19, and (c) within the year 2019-20.

Alex Chalk: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the date an offence was committed. This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Rape: Prosecutions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Attorney General, whether she plans to implement the recommendations from the Criminal Justice Joint Inspection into the police and CPS's response to rape post-charge in full; what her timetable is for implementing those recommendations; and if she will make a statement.

Alex Chalk: The CPS has welcomed the recent Criminal Justice Joint Inspection (CJJI) report on how well the criminal justice system serves survivors of rape and has largely accepted all the recommendations within it that relate directly to their work. They will use the report’s findings and recommendations to further inform their response to rape prosecutions and to build on the significant work undertaken so far, which has focussed on the following three main areas of work:better collaboration with the police from the very start of an investigation, taking an offender-centric approach to case-building;supporting prosecutors and expanding the size of specialist units so that they are properly resourced to respond to these challenging and complex cases; andimproving the support given to victims, and recognising the trauma they experience.On the timeframes for implementing the two recommendations relating to communicating with victims, the CPS has already commenced a vital programme of work to improve how they communicate with victims. As part of this, the CPS has commissioned crucial research into victims’ needs to understand what victims need and want, so the CPS can serve them better. This research is part of a fundamental review into how the CPS can improve communication with victims. Although this three-phased programme is underway, the CPS will require time to complete it, to ensure that it fundamentally improves the quality of communication with victims. The CPS’s full response to the report and its recommendations can be found here.

Department of Health and Social Care

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will respond Question 118533 tabled on 31 January 2022 by the hon. Member for Walthamstow on Hospital: Admissions.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will respond Question 114728 tabled on 31 January 2022 by the hon. Member for Walthamstow on Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Alimentum

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to effectively disseminate information about the recall of contaminated Alimentum formula to prescribing clinicians.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Alimentum

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the recall of contaminated Alimentum formula.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Information Officers

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) full time equivalent headcount and b) outturn expenditure on communications for his Department was in each of the last three financial years.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Infant Foods: Sales

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to tackle the resale of prescription only formula feeds through online auction sites.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Reorganisation

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the NHS chief operating officer on the progress of the proposed merger of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust with South Tees NHS Foundation Trust.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Integrated Care Boards: Innovation

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that Integrated Care Boards have the (a) accountability and (b) resources necessary to effectively promote innovation in the context of the duty to promote innovation in the Health and Care Bill.

Maria Caulfield: The Government has tabled amendments in the Committee stage of the Bill to ensure appropriate accountability for innovation. This includes amendments requiring a joint forward plan for integrated care boards (ICB) and partners setting out how the board will promote innovation and requiring an annual report. These will be published and reviewed by NHS England. There are also accountability mechanisms for ICB Chief Executives and Chairs to foster a culture of innovation. The Department will continue to work with the National Health Service and the Accelerated Access Collaborative to ensure that best practice in promoting innovation is communicated to ICBs and support Academic Health Science Networks on adoption.

Coronavirus: Medical Treatments

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to make anti-viral covid-19 medication available to elderly people who have tested positive for that disease.

Maggie Throup: 1.3 million of the highest risk patients whose immune systems mean they are at higher risk of progression to severe disease, hospital admission or death can receive antivirals directly in England via COVID Medicines Delivery Units.Elderly people are eligible for the antiviral molnupiravir through the PANORAMIC study run by the University of Oxford. This study is open to individuals in the United Kingdom who have received a positive polymerase chain reaction test, are aged 50 years old and over or are aged 18 to 49 years old with an underlying medical condition which can increase the risk of developing severe COVID-19. We are awaiting outcomes from the PANORAMIC study before confirming plans to expand the eligible cohort.

England Infected Blood Support Scheme: Hepatitis

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the criteria are for England Infected Blood Support Scheme registrants to be classified as (a) stage 1, (b) special category and (c) stage 2 for purposes of hepatitis C support payments.

Maria Caulfield: For stage 1 payments, the individual would have been infected with hepatitis C as a result of treatment with National Health Service blood, blood products or tissue prior to September 1991. Applicants must demonstrate that they were chronically infected with hepatitis C; they have not already received payments for hepatitis C infection from the Skipton Fund or any other United Kingdom ex gratia payment scheme; it was probable that they were chronically infected with hepatitis C through treatment in England or a British Military Hospital; and that in cases where treatment was received in more than one country within the United Kingdom, that they reside in England, or lived in England immediately before leaving the UK.If the applicant was infected with hepatitis C by someone infected through treatment with NHS blood, blood products or tissue prior to September 1991, they must demonstrate that that they were chronically infected with hepatitis C; and it is probable that they were infected by someone who was infected through treatment in England - the person must be receiving payments from England Infected Blood Support Scheme or have received payment(s) from the Skipton Fund. Where this is not the case, the individual will first need to qualify for a hepatitis C stage 1 payment before the application can be considered.The applicant must also confirm how they had contracted the infection. If they have contracted the infection from sexual transmission they must also confirm they were with the person who infected them at the time, either in marriage, civil partnership or long-term relationship, and living together and their spouse or partner was unaware they had the infection, or reasonable precautions were taken to prevent transmission at the time they contracted the infection.Applicants for Special Category Mechanism must first be registered for stage 1 payments and whose infection, treatment or associated conditions has a long-term negative impact on their ability to carry out daily activities and their condition has worsened but do not qualify for stage 2 payments. Applicants must demonstrate that they have either autoimmune disease due to or worsened by interferon treatment. This includes coombes positive haemolytic anaemia, idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis of the lung and rheumatoid arthritis; or sporadic porphyria cutanea tarda; or immune thrombocytopenic purpura, if autoimmune with antiplatelet antibodies; or type 2 or 3 mixed cryoglobulinaemia, if accompanied by cerebral vasculitis, dermal vasculitis or peripheral neuropathy with neuropathic pain; and/or have been affected in performing your daily duties due to the infection or the treatment.Applicants for stage 2 must first be registered for stage 1 payments and must demonstrate that they have or have had either cirrhosis; or primary liver cancer; or B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; or a liver transplant, or are on the waiting list to receive one; or type 2 or 3 cryoglobulinemia accompanied by membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.

Heart Diseases

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing access to defibrillators by mandating them to be located in out of hospital settings.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England is working with partners to improve community first response and build defibrillator networks to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest. A national network of community first responders and defibrillators will save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028, supported by educating the public on recognising and responding to a cardiac arrest.No recent assessment of mandating defibrillators in out of hospital settings has been made. The Government has encouraged communities and organisations in England to consider purchasing a defibrillator as part of first-aid equipment, specifically in densely populated areas.

England Infected Blood Support Scheme: Hepatitis

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence is acceptable to the England Infected Blood Support Scheme to support applications for (a) hepatitis C stage 1, (b) special category mechanism payments and (c) hepatitis C stage 2 payments.

Maria Caulfield: The evidence for stage 1 applications includes medical records to confirm that treatment with National Health Service blood, blood products or tissue occurred prior to September 1991; other medical records of the procedure that led to the need for treatment with blood, blood products or tissue but where this is not specifically mentioned; witness statements; a personal statement regarding the procedure and the circumstances which required the need for treatment with blood, blood products or tissue; and physical evidence of the procedure that led to treatment with NHS blood, blood products or tissue.Applicants for special category mechanism must request a medical practitioner to provide evidence for the responses given on the application form. This should be their hospital hepatologist doctor or viral hepatitis nurse. If the medical practitioner cannot, or does not, provide evidence for any elements of their answers, they may provide an endorsement based on professional judgement or balance of probability.Applicants must arrange for their medical practitioner to complete parts 1 to 8 of the stage 2 application form and provide supporting evidence from the applicant’s medical records. This should be the applicant’s specialist for the qualifying condition they have been diagnosed with.

England Infected Blood Support Scheme: Hepatitis

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is provided to the people applying to the England Infected Blood Support Scheme for (a) hepatitis C stage 1 payments, (b) special category mechanism payments and (c) hepatitis C stage 2 payments in gathering the required medical records and other information.

Maria Caulfield: The England Infected Blood Support Scheme provides information on how an individual can request their medical records and on behalf of someone else, and how to access the medical records of a deceased family member. This information is available online or through the Scheme’s dedicated advisers.

Breast Cancer: Surgery

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that funding allocated to tackle the backlog of elective cases addresses people who are awaiting delayed breast reconstruction.

Maria Caulfield: In July 2021, the National Health Service announced a further £20 million for Cancer Alliances to accelerate cancer diagnoses and enable management of high referral volumes. Cancer Alliances have been asked to ensure that wherever possible reconstructive surgery takes place, in particular for women who have undergone breast surgery previously during the pandemic.

Radiotherapy

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish data sets covering the number of radiotherapy treatments in the UK since May 2021.

Maria Caulfield: Data on the number of radiotherapy treatments in 2021 is not yet available. This information is expected to be published in September 2022.

Lung Diseases: Screening

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on the potential merits of reintroducing the use of spirometry in primary care settings.

Maria Caulfield: Guidance by the Primary Care Respiratory Society, the British Thoracic Society and the Association of Respiratory Technology and Physiology was published in April 2021, to support the safe re-start of spirometry in primary care.The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ was published by NHS England and NHS Improvement in February 2022. The plan aims to improve the detection and management of long-term conditions by increasing diagnostics such as spirometry. Additional diagnostic capacity has been created through the approval of 71 community diagnostic centres in 2021/22. The centres are estimated to provide capacity for 408,000 tests in 2021/22 and 750,000 additional tests annually.

Coronavirus: Screening

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 PCR laboratories have had to (a) redirect or (b) reject deliveries of PCR tests for analysis since 1 December 2021.

Maggie Throup: This information is not held centrally. However, laboratories do not reject deliveries of polymerase chain reaction test samples. Where an unexpected delivery arrives, the protocol states that laboratories should accept it and then arrange for the delivery to be re-directed.The re-directions process is managed on a daily basis and is flexible to respond to changes in demand and any operational issues within the laboratories. This ensures that demand is spread evenly across the network, whilst maintaining turnaround times.

Lung Cancer: Screening

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timeline is for approval of the national lung cancer screening programme following its suspension in March 2020 due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date will the lung screening pilots in England recommence following their suspension in March 2020.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19, published on 21 February 2022, what steps his Department are taking to help ensure that NHS England's Targeted Lung Health Check programme is able to return to and exceed its pre-pandemic levels of performance.

Maria Caulfield: All Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) sites were operational by September 2020 and are issuing in excess of 30,000 invitations each month, compared to 1,555 each month prior to the pandemic. In 2022/23, the number of operational THLCs sites will increase from 23 to 43, funded by up to £70 million from the NHS Cancer Programme. The UK National Screening Committee is currently considering whether TLHCs should be recommended as a national screening programme.

Cystic Fibrosis: Prescriptions

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people with cystic fibrosis in England over the age of 18 are exempt from prescription charges.

Edward Argar: The information requested is not held centrally.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2022 to Question 96909, on Cancer: Drugs, how many breast cancer drugs are being assessed through the Project Orbis licensing route.

Edward Argar: The United Kingdom is aware of one Project Orbis product aimed at treating breast cancer. As with all medicines and treatments, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will ensure a thorough and expedited assessment of any medicine’s safety and efficacy before any authorisation. The MHRA continues to work with other participants to review and approve applications for promising cancer treatments as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Cancer: Health Services

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the time it takes for people suffering from cancer to receive essential medical appointments; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Caulfield: The Department and the National Health Service (NHS) have published the Delivery Plan for Tackling the COVID-19 Backlog of Elective Care. This plan sets out a clear vision for how the NHS will recover and expand elective services over the next three years.To support elective recovery the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, this is in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available to systems this year to help drive up and protect elective activity.The ambitions for patients are supported with a clear plan to deliver £9 million additional treatments and diagnostic procedures over the next three years and around 30% more elective activity by 2024/25 than before the pandemic.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: Sexual Dysfunction

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of designating Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction as a recognised medical condition.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made.

Integrated Care Boards: Innovation

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to support Integrated Care Boards to innovate in the context of the duty in the Health and Care Bill as amended in committee to promote innovation.

Maria Caulfield: In addition to the statutory duties to promote innovation in the Health and Care Bill, the Department continues to work with partners of the National Health Service such as the Accelerated Access Collaborative, to ensure innovation is embedded in integrated care boards (ICBs) and best practice is communicated. The Department also supports Academic Health Science Networks in engaging with ICBs on adoption and innovation.

Dental Services: Finance

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether dentists who apply for funding from the £50 million catch up fund for NHS dentistry are required to carry out treatments using this funding outside of their usual operating hours.

Maria Caulfield: Sessions must be delivered outside of contracted hours. While it is likely that most of the additional sessions will be delivered out of hours, care delivered within operating hours may be funded under these arrangements where a contractor can demonstrate the sessions are delivering additional National Health Service care over and above their contracted hours.

Higher Education: Medicine and Nurses

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase the number of places available for students to study medicine and nursing at university.

Edward Argar: We have funded an additional 1,500 undergraduate medical school places per year in England. In addition, we have temporarily lifted the cap on medical and dental school places for students who completed A levels in 2020 and 2021 and received an offer from a university in England to study medicine or dentistry, subject to their grades. There are no current plans to further increase the number of medical school places.There is no limit or cap on the number of nursing places at universities. We are offering non-repayable grants of at least £5,000 per year to eligible students and investing £40 million in expanding clinical placement capacity. Over 30,000 students accepted places to study nursing and midwifery at English universities in 2021 recruitment cycle – an increase of 28% compared to 2019.

Pathology: Vacancies

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle workforce shortages in NHS pathology and (b) support recruitment campaigns in that specialism.

Edward Argar: In November 2021, there were 2,850 full time equivalent consultant pathologists in the National Health Service in England. This is an increase of 1.8% since November 2020 and 16.8% since November 2010. This includes trainees, specialists and doctors on other contracts. We have also increased the number of medical school places in England by 25% to 7,500 per year. The Royal College of Pathologists has worked with Health Education England to promote pathology to medical students at undergraduate level and during the Foundation Programme to encourage the uptake of specialty training in pathology.

Department of Health and Social Care: Social Clubs

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a list of (a) professional staff networks and (b) social clubs operating within his Department; and if he will provide the (i) budgets and (ii) FTE staff time allocated to each group within each of the last three years.

Edward Argar: The Department has the following established staff networks:- EnABLE (disability);- Autism;- Diversity of Thought;- Race Equality Matters Network;- PRISM (LGBT+);- Women’s;- Parents’;- Age Diversity;- Carers’,- EU Nationals;- Social Mobility;- Men’s Health;- Christian;- Muslim;- Jewish;- Hinduism and Sikhism;- Healthy Humanists;- Flexible Working;- Green;- Science and Engineering;- Apprenticeship;- Personal Assistant;- Fast Stream;- Domestic Abuse Support;- Eating Disorder Support;- AO/EO;- HEO/SEO; and- Grade 6/7. Information on social clubs is not held in the format requested. There is no specific budget allocated to staff networks, although networks can access the central diversity and inclusion budget if required. No full time equivalent staff time has been allocated to each network or group in the last three years.

Department of Health and Social Care: Correspondence

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average response time was for his Department to respond to an enquiry from an MP once an enquiry had been received by the MP (a) hotline and (b) account management team in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Edward Argar: The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from hon. Members, either directly or on behalf of their constituents. The Department does not have an MP hotline.The Department does not hold information on the average response time to enquiries from hon. Members, as correspondence performance is monitored by the percentage of correspondence responded to within the target response time set by the Department.Data on the timeliness of responses to correspondence from Parliamentarians in 2019 and 2020 is published on GOV.UK:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peersData for 2021 will be published by the Cabinet Office in due course.

Health Services: Staff

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how frequently the Government conducts regular analyses of workforce pressures and trends within (a) healthcare, (b) primary care and (c) general practice; and whether those analyses are published.

Edward Argar: There are a number of regular workforce data publications on pressures and trends in healthcare, primary care and general practice. These include workforce size in hospitals, general practice, dentistry and primary care networks and data on turnover and sickness absence of hospital staff published by NHS Digital, including COVID-19 related sickness absence. The results of the annual National Health Service staff survey are published by NHS England.In July 2021, the Department commissioned Health Education England to review long term strategic trends for the health workforce and regulated professionals in the social care workforce. In addition, the Department recently commissioned NHS England to develop a workforce strategy, which will set out its conclusions in due course.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time patients are waiting in ambulances before transfer to the Emergency Department at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Edward Argar: Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is working with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and community partners to reduce conveyances of some patients to hospital as clinically appropriate, providing alternate treatment and care at home or in the community. The Trust is also working with WMAS to cohort ambulance patients at accident and emergency (A&E) departments. A single ambulance crew takes responsibility for three to four patients within the A&E department, releasing crews to respond to outstanding calls in the community. Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System has also launched a winter health campaign until the end of March, encouraging the use of NHS 111 and local pharmacies. Ambulances have direct access to a same day emergency care centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to avoid conveying patients to A&E where appropriate. The Trust is also maximising patient flow through the hospital to improve A&E performance and patient handover times.

Social Services: Fees and Charges

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding in SH v Norfolk County Council [2020] EWHC 3436 that that council's charging policy unlawfully discriminated against severely disabled people, what steps he is taking to ensure that other local authorities' social care charging policies do not discriminate against people with disabilities.

Gillian Keegan: Local authorities have discretion to implement charging policies to meet the needs of the local population, whilst adhering to legislation and statutory guidance. Responsibility for ensuring that charging policies are compliant with equality laws rests with local authorities. We have engaged with local authority representative groups to ensure that local authorities understand their obligations.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of ambulance waiting times in England.

Edward Argar: Performance data for January 2022 shows an improvement in response times in England against all ambulance waiting time categories. NHS England and NHS Improvement are providing an extra £55 million to ambulance trusts to increase staff numbers this winter, providing over 700 additional staff in control rooms and on the frontline to reduce response times.

Hearing Impairment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that hearing loss is (a) referenced in the Equalities Impact Assessment accompanying the Health and Care Bill and  (b) recognised as a disability within this Assessment.

Gillian Keegan: An equalities impact assessment of the Health and Care Bill’s provisions was undertaken prior to its introduction. The assessment considers the impact on those with protected characteristics, including those with a disability. This assessment is ongoing and is being updated during the passage of the Bill. The analysis forms part of the Public Sector Equality Duty in relation to underlying policy. At the time of planned implementation, the impacts on certain groups of people and those with disabilities can be considered.

Hospitals: Admissions

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the equality of access to a hospital of choice through the NHS e-Referral Service (a) across England, (b) for Hospital Trusts in the London region and (c) for Barts NHS Health Trust, by (i) geography of residence, (ii) ethnicity and (iii) deprivation.

Edward Argar: No assessment has been made. The National Health Service e-Referral Service (e-RS) does not record data on ethnicity and deprivation. Where appropriate, general practitioners (GPs) should include relevant sensitive patient information within the clinical referral information shared with the chosen provider to support the referral. The referring GP is responsible for ensuring that all options offered to patients are appropriate for their clinical, social and accessibility needs. The e-RS records data on the source of the referral, including the patient’s post code. This data is available to regional NHS commissioners.

Mental Health Services: South East

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times for adult mental health referrals in (a) Slough and (b) the South East.

Gillian Keegan: No assessment has been made as the information requested is not collected centrally. NHS England and NHS Improvement consulted on the potential to introduce five new waiting time standards and published the outcomes of this consultation on 22 February 2022. We will work with NHS England and NHS Improvement on the next steps for the proposed mental health access and waiting measures.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward guidance on consumption of alcohol by young people to tackle alcohol consumption rates among young people.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to ensure that parents (a) understand the risks of alcohol consumption in children and (b) do not provide their children with alcohol.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of hospital admissions of people under the age of 18 as a result of consuming alcohol.

Gillian Keegan: Advice on alcohol consumption is available at NHS.UK, the Talk to FRANK online resource, and GOV.UK. The National Health Service advises that alcohol use in teenage years is related to a range of health and social problems and recommends that children and young people do not drink alcohol before the age of 18 years old. This guidance also includes specific advice for parents and is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/should-my-child-drink-alcohol/ Education on alcohol use is also a statutory component of relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education in England. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning services to prevent, mitigate and treat alcohol-related health harm based on local need, delivered through the Public Health Grant. This includes substance misuse services for children and young people.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring residents of care homes to be vaccinated against covid-19.

Gillian Keegan: We have no plans to mandate vaccination for care home residents. As of 20 February 2022, 95.4% of all care home residents have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and 88.4% have received a booster dose.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Health and Social Care Directorates of Scotland on sharing learning and best practice on improving the mental health of children and young people.

Gillian Keegan: Departmental officials met recently with counterparts in the Scottish Government to share best practice on policies to improve mental health and wellbeing, including for children and young people. Officials will meet regularly to share information and learning as we develop a new long-term strategy for mental health and wellbeing in England.

Care Workers: Pay

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of direct payment pay rates in attracting care staff; and whether his Department has plans to increase the rate of pay for carers under the direct payment system.

Gillian Keegan: No assessment has been made. The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who ultimately set their pay, independent of central government. Local authorities work with care providers, including those in receipt of Direct Payments, to determine a fair rate of pay based on local market conditions.

Neuromuscular Disorders: Mental Health Services

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of psychological support for people living with MS and other neurological conditions.

Gillian Keegan: The NHS RightCare progressive neurological conditions toolkit states that patients with a neurological condition will be offered a regular review of their emotional and psychological status and supported to access information and mental health services when needed. Support may include counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, written advice or a neuro-psychological specialist if required. In addition, people living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions may be referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service.We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24. The Mental Health Recovery Action Plan also provided £500 million of targeted investment in 2021/22. This will enable an extra two million people in England to access National Health Service-funded mental health support, with an additional 27,000 mental health professions recruited to support this expansion.

Mental Health Services: Females

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to implement local women and girls’ mental health strategies, to help ensure that meeting the mental health needs of domestic abuse survivors is reflected at both a national and local level.

Gillian Keegan: We plan to launch a public discussion paper this year to inform the development of a new long term mental health strategy. This will discuss potential solutions at local and national level to improve mental health and wellbeing, including in women and girls.‘Our Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy for England’ was published in December 2021 which commits to gather evidence on the impacts of trauma-informed practice to support the victims of violence against women and girls.

Clubs: Dementia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to support clubs for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, as well as carers of people with those conditions.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help promote clubs and societies that support people with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia.

Gillian Keegan: Whilst the Department does not promote specific clubs or societies for people living with dementia and their carers, we recognise that clubs and societies can be important in supporting people to engage with their community and reduce social isolation.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Quality Standard on Dementia published in June 2019 includes guidelines for offering activities such as exercise, aromatherapy, art, gardening, baking, reminiscence therapy, music therapy, mindfulness and animal assisted therapy to help promote wellbeing. Local authorities are also required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population, including carers, under the Care Act 2014.We are working with stakeholders and the health and care system to identify and implement actions to support people with dementia and their carers. Later this year we will be setting plans on dementia for England.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to the Spring Statement on (a) funding allocations for mental health services and (b) the provision of additional funding for mental health services in the context of increasing demand.

Gillian Keegan: We have regular discussions with HM Treasury on a range of issues, including funding for mental health services. We have committed to increase spending on mental health services in real terms by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24. In each year of the current Spending Review period, spending on mental health services will increase as a share of the National Health Service budget. We are also ensuring that clinical commissioning groups and integrated care boards once operational meet the Mental Health Investment Standard to allow spending on mental health to increase at least in line with the growth in overall funding allocations.

Mental Health Services: Females

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what methodology his Department uses to assess the need for mental health support for women and girls who have been subject to sexual violence; and what steps he is taking to ensure that those services are (a) adequate and (b) easily accessible.

Gillian Keegan: Through NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Department commissions 47 sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), which provide an integrated response to sexual violence and rape across England. These are geographically provided across counties, enabling the whole population to access a SARC service near to where they live.SARCs are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all genders and ages and provide support for both recent and non-recent incidents. Individuals are provided with an holistic assessment, including assessing their mental health and forensic, medical and emotional support interventions can be offered. SARCs are part of wider sexual violence pathways and work in collaboration with other statutory and voluntary sector providers.NHS England and NHS Improvement are ensuring that funding is available for SARCs to provide enhanced mental health pathways for victims and survivors of sexual assault and abuse who have complex mental health needs. Adequacy of provision is monitored on a regular basis by regional SARC commissioners in partnership with local police and police crime commissioners. Each commissioner will perform regular health needs assessment of its population to ensure the appropriate services are commissioned.

Mental Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is making additional mental health support available for (a) Ukrainian refugees and (b) the wider Ukrainian diaspora in the UK.

Gillian Keegan: NHS England and NHS Improvement are assessing how to meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees and the Ukrainian diaspora living in England. In addition to mental health support, this includes primary care and registration with a general practitioner, dental care and maternity services.

Ophthalmic Services

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Health and Care Bill, how his Department will measure progress on the integration of eye care services into mainstream health services.

Maria Caulfield: Progress on the integration of eye care services into mainstream health services will be measured at a local level, due to the flexibility required to meet varied local circumstances. However NHS England’s Eye Care Planning and Implementation Guidance 2021/22 explains how systems should plan local eye care recovery and transformation in line with the requirements of the 2021/22 priorities and operational planning guidance.

Eyesight

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what investment his Department is providing to enable the gathering of population level data on eye health.

Maria Caulfield: We have invested in collating population level data on eye health and advice on tackling risk factors. This information was published in the Atlas of Variation in August 2021. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is continuing to invest in developing further eye health metrics to support local systems in commissioning and evaluating services to improve eye health.

General Practitioners: Health Services

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is responsible for monitoring the levels of demand placed on general practitioners and their teams; and what checks are in place to help ensure that extra-contractual reporting and other activities do not compromise the provision of safe patient care.

Maria Caulfield: Local systems and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for monitoring and responding to demands placed on general practitioners and their teams. The GP Contract states that each practice is required to provide primary medical services to meet the reasonable needs of their registered patients. General practices are independent businesses whose services are contracted by National Health Service commissioners. A practice may choose to provide extra-contractual services which are permitted under the terms of their contract.

Pharmacy

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on assessing the potential merits of introducing a pharmacy first scheme in England.

Maria Caulfield: The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) sets out the vision for community pharmacy to provide treatment for minor illnesses, support for self care and health advice. Many community pharmacies deliver the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service which enables general practitioners and NHS 111 to refer patients to a pharmacist for advice on and treatment of minor illnesses. We are exploring additional provision through community pharmacies under the CPCF and in the long term.

General Practitioners

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms are in place to help ensure that safe levels of workload are deployed in general practice.

Maria Caulfield: The GP Contract states that each practice is required to provide primary medical services to meet the reasonable needs of their registered patients. As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, practices determine the appropriate workforce to match the workload, including the number and range of health professionals. There is no recommendation for the number of patients assigned to a general practitioner. This can be affected by various factors, including rurality and patient demographics. As part of the 2020/21 GP Contract, we have committed to a review of bureaucracy in general practice which is ongoing.

Doctors' List of Patients

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the (a) average, (b) largest and (c) smallest patient list size per full time employed GP working in general practice under (i) General Medical Service and (ii) Alternative Provider Medical Services contracts in (A) Brent, (B) London and (C) England for each year since 2010.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not held centrally. Patient lists are held by practices rather than individual general practitioners (GPs). It is for practices to determine patient allocation appropriate to its workforce. Information on list size per GP and contract type is not collected.

Department of Health and Social Care: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Edward Argar: Throughout the pandemic, the Department has followed the Government’s guidance in setting out its internal COVID-19 related policies. This includes complying with the Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance which sets out the key actions organisations should take to protect employees and customers in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in workplaces, along with carrying out health and safety risk assessments that include the ongoing risk from COVID-19.On 21 February 2022, the Government published their COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19. This sets out how and when the remaining restrictions will be lifted in England. The Government’s guidance was subsequently amended, including the Working Safely guidance.The Government’s Working Safely guidance, which was revised on 24 February 2022, continues to require organisations to carry out a risk assessment which includes the risk from COVID-19. It also sets out additional actions organisations can take to protect employees in the workplace, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, frequent cleaning, asking people to wash their hands frequently and asking people with COVID-19 to stay away. The guidance advises that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, when rates of transmission are high. Civil Service employers will continue to follow this guidance and align their policies accordingly. There is no mandation for Departmental colleagues to wear masks in offices.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Health Services

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of Baroness Scott of Bybrook in the House of Lords debate on the National Disability Strategy on 10 February 2022, Official Report, column 1809, what discussions he had with Ministers in his Department on the implementation of a (a) Government review of provision for ME or CFS and (b) national strategy for that disease.

Gillian Keegan: There have been no specific discussions. The Department continues to consider options to improve outcomes for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and their families, including the potential development of a national strategy.

Lung Cancer: Screening

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to prepare for the implementation of the UK NSC’s recommendation on lung cancer screening.

Maria Caulfield: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) plans to open a three-month public consultation on the evidence for lung cancer screening in the week commencing 7 March 2022. The Department will receive the UK NSC’s recommendation on lung cancer screening in individuals at an increased risk following its meeting in June 2022.If recommended, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be responsible for implementing the programme in England and preparatory work is underway.

Members: Correspondence

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the Member for Glasgow Central on 7 January with case ref ZA25441.

Edward Argar: We replied to the hon. Member on 7 February 2022.

Immunosuppression: Coronavirus

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide free covid-19 testing for asymptomatic close contacts of immunocompromised people.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will provide free covid-19 tests to immunocompromised people.

Maggie Throup: From 1 April 2022, free lateral flow device testing for the general public in England will no longer be available. There will be some limited testing available for a small number of at-risk groups. The Government will provide further information on eligible groups in due course.

Cholesteatoma: Health Services

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve services for people with cholesteatoma to ensure they are tested and diagnosed as soon as possible.

Edward Argar: We have made £520 million available to improve access and capacity in general practice during the pandemic, enabling patients with cholesteatoma symptoms to be assessed and referred. The National Health Service is expanding access to specialist advice and guidance through Primary Care Networks, including the provision of £10 million through the Investment and Impact Fund.We are investing £2.3 billion in opening up to 160 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) by March 2025, increasing capacity for computed tomography scans which can diagnose cholesteatoma. CDCs have already delivered over 550,00 additional checks. We are also investing £1.5 billion to expand elective surgical hubs, which will increase surgical capacity to remove cholesteatomas. There are currently over 40 surgical hubs.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to respond to the Aligning the upper age for NHS prescription charge exemptions with the State Pension age consultation, which closed on 3 September 2021.

Edward Argar: No decisions on the proposals have yet been made and we will respond to the consultation and announce next steps in due course.

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with professional bodies representing GPs and general practice staff on improving clinical knowledge and training for call handlers at the national 119 and 111 services.

Edward Argar: No recent discussions have taken place.

Coronavirus: Documents

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish information for the general public on how to access a covid-19 Proof of Recovery certificate from the NHS, including who is able to access this document.

Maggie Throup: Individuals who have had a positive polymerase chain reaction test result can generate a travel NHS COVID Pass based on proof of prior infection via the NHS App and NHS.UK. This is available 10 days after the positive test, for a total of 180 days after the test date. Proof of prior infection is not available via the travel NHS COVID Pass letter.

Teignmouth Hospital

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to make a decision on the future of Teignmouth Hospital.

Edward Argar: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel provided their advice on this case on 23 December 2021. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has considered the Panel’s advice and will issue a decision shortly.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including aspiration in the vaccine administration procedures for the covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Maggie Throup: No assessment has been made. The UK Health Security Agency’s guidance on immunisation techniques states that it is not necessary to aspirate the syringe after the needle is introduced into the muscle, as there are no large blood vessels at the recommended injection sites. This guidance is also consistent with the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for the COVID-19 vaccines approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The SPCs do not state that aspiration is required prior to injection of the vaccine. As with all recommendations for vaccine administration, this is kept under regular review in line with the latest available evidence.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recommendations he has received from SAGE on the matter of reducing public health measures at 19 January 2022.

Maggie Throup: The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) provide consensus science advice to the Government. Policy, operational or clinical advice does not come under its remit and as such it did not make recommendations with regard to reducing public health measures. However, the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling provided modelling on the possible course of the virus which was discussed at SAGE’s meeting on 13 January 2022. The papers discussed at this meeting are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sage-meetings-january-2022

Coronavirus: Screening

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of removing free-of-charge covid-19 lateral flow tests for individuals living in a household with someone who is immuno-suppressed or immuno-compromised.

Maggie Throup: From 1 April 2022, free access to lateral flow device tests for the public in England will end. We will continue to make testing available for a small number of at-risk groups. Further details on eligible groups will be made available in due course. We will continue to keep the impact of these policies on individuals living in a household with someone who is immuno-suppressed or immuno-compromised under review.

Coronavirus: Screening

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people eligible to take part in the PANORAMIC study will continue to receive free covid-19 tests once free mass testing has ended.

Maggie Throup: Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups. The forthcoming testing strategy will provide further details, including for patients who may be eligible to enrol in PANORAMIC.

Tobacco: Regulation

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the costs, benefits and risks to the public in line with the Better Regulation guidance when drafting forthcoming Tobacco and Related Products regulations.

Maggie Throup: A post implementation review (PIR) into The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 has been conducted in accordance with the Better Regulation Framework (BRF) guidance. The PIR has considered the costs, benefits and risks to the public of the current regulations. Any future tobacco and related products regulatory changes would be conducted in accordance with the BRF guidance.

Coronavirus: Preventive Medicine

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of prophylactic use of antivirals for the immunocompromised in tackling covid-19.

Maggie Throup: The RAPID C-19 collaboration has enabled multi-agency oversight of national and international trial evidence as it emerges for COVID-19 therapies for potential treatment and prophylactic indications. While to date the evidence has most strongly supported treatment use, the evidence around prophylactic use will be reviewed.As part of the PANORAMIC national study, there will be a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) sub-study which is expected to begin later in spring. This PEP sub-study will investigate the effect of prescribing oral antivirals to those who are a household contact of a COVID-19 positive individual. In addition, the PROTECT-V study is trialling sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment and niclosamide, an antihelminthic drug, as prophylactic drugs administered over a six-month period in vulnerable renal and immunosuppressed patients.

Healthy Start Scheme

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of calls to the Healthy Start helpline have been disconnected due to unavailability of helpline staff.

Maggie Throup: In January 2022, there were 370,254 calls to the NHS Healthy Start helplines. Of these, 71,891 or 19% of calls received a message advising that lines were currently busy. Callers were advised contact the helpline at later time and also directed to a frequently asked question section online.

Immunosuppression: Coronavirus

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how an immunocompromised person who tests positive for covid-19 can access one of the covid-19 treatments.

Maggie Throup: In England, 1.3 million of the highest risk patients are eligible to receive the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab or antiviral drugs paxlovid, molnupiravir or remdesivir. Eligible patients who receive a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or lateral flow device test result will be contacted by a clinician from a COVID Medicines Delivery Unit to discuss treatment suitability. The clinician will be responsible for assessing the patient and deciding which treatment option is most appropriate for the patient and their existing condition.In addition, over 20 million people are eligible for the antiviral molnupiravir through the PANORAMIC national study. This study is open to individuals in the United Kingdom who have received a positive PCR test, are aged 50 years old and over or are aged 18 to 49 years old with an underlying medical condition that can increase the risk of developing severe COVID-19.

Immunosuppression: Preventive Medicine

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prophylactic use of antivirals for people who are immunocompromised.

Maggie Throup: The RAPID C-19 collaboration has enabled active multi-agency oversight of national and international trial evidence as it emerges for COVID-19 therapies, both in potential treatment and prophylactic indications. To date, the evidence has most strongly supported treatment use, although the evidence on prophylactic use will continue to be reviewed.As part of the PANORAMIC national study, there will be a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) sub-study which is expected to begin later in spring. This PEP sub-study will investigate the effect of prescribing oral antivirals to those who are a household contact of a COVID-19 positive individual. In addition, the PROTECT-V study is trialling sotrovimab and niclosamide as prophylactic drugs administered over a six-month period in vulnerable renal and immunosuppressed patients.

Coronavirus: Screening

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will introduce a cap on the cost of covid-19 tests.

Maggie Throup: We have no plans to do so. Manufacturers and retailers should have autonomy to set pricing and pack sizes for lateral flow device tests.

Telemedicine

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of suspending the telemedicine service on vulnerable women, including those with abusive partners.

Maggie Throup: Evidence on the wellbeing and safety of women requiring access to abortion service was considered among the responses received to the Government’s consultation on the temporary approval which allowed home use of both pills for early medical abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will work with stakeholders in the sector and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to monitor the impact as face to face services return from August 2022.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many paediatric doses of the covid-19 vaccine have been administered in each region of the UK as of 25 January 2022.

Maggie Throup: The information requested is not held centrally. COVID-19 vaccination in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.

Coronavirus: Screening

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the viability of the PANORAMIC national study once participants are no longer able to access free covid-19 tests.

Maggie Throup: From 1 April 2022, limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups. The forthcoming testing strategy will provide further details, including for patients who may be eligible to enrol in the PANORAMIC study.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many paediatric doses of the covid-19 vaccine have been delivered to each region of the UK as of 25 January 2022.

Maggie Throup: This information is not held in the format requested.

Immunosuppression: Coronavirus

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is considering prophylactic use of antivirals for the immunocompromised to protect those people from covid-19.

Maggie Throup: The Department continues to consider the prophylactic use of antivirals for the immunocompromised. The RAPID C-19 collaboration has enabled multi-agency oversight of national and international trial evidence as it emerges for COVID-19 therapies, in potential treatment and prophylactic indications. The evidence has strongly supported treatment use, although the evidence on prophylactic use will continue to be reviewed.Later this spring, there will be a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) sub-study as part of the PANORAMIC national study, which will investigate the effect of prescribing oral antivirals to those who are a household contact of a COVID-19 positive individual. In addition, the PROTECT-V study is trialling sotrovimab and niclosamide as prophylactic drugs administered over a six-month period in vulnerable renal and immunosuppressed patients.

Coronavirus: Remote Working

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is providing support to employers to ensure that their clinically extremely vulnerable or severely immunosuppressed employees can work from home if they wish to and are able to.

Maggie Throup: People previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to follow general guidance while considering additional precautions to reduce the risk of infection. The latest guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19 On 24 December 2021 updated public health advice was issued for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. This guidance is available at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk Guidance issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recommends that employers should give additional consideration to people who may consider themselves to be at higher risk and to workers facing mental and physical health difficulties. Employers should also consider other workers who are at higher risk and for whom additional precautions, advised by their doctors, should be considered. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-covid-19/offices-factories-and-labs#offices-2-2

Food: Salt

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives from the food industry on reducing the amount of salt in food products.

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the population's intake of salt from 8.4 grams per day to a recommended maximum of 6 grams per day.

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of mandatory salt targets on the public's health in the context of evidence of the effectiveness of mandatory salt targets in South Africa.

Maggie Throup: Discussions with food industry representatives continue as part of the ongoing salt and wider reformulation programme. Reducing population salt intakes would reduce the risk of high blood pressure and hence cardiovascular disease. New salt reduction targets for the food industry were published in September 2020. The first report on the food industry’s progress towards achieving these targets is expected later in 2022.

Food: Advertising

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what metrics he plans to use to measure the effectiveness of the advertising restrictions contained in the Health and Care Bill on reducing levels of childhood obesity.

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the consultation on the secondary regulations relating to the advertising restrictions contained in the Health and Care Bill.

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to issue guidance to advertisers on the advertising restrictions contained in the Health and Care Bill.

Maggie Throup: A post-implementation review will be undertaken within five years of the introduction of restrictions on the advertising of products high in fat, salt or sugar on TV and paid for advertising online. The impact assessment published in June 2021 outlined variables that may be monitored in this review and is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/996232/impact-assessment-hfss-advertising.pdf We will shortly conduct a consultation, focusing on the clarity of definitions proposed in secondary legislation. We continue to work with regulators to prepare the relevant guidance and put in place the enforcement structures needed for industry to understand the new advertising restrictions ahead of implementation. We expect this guidance to be made available for consultation later this year. The exact timing is a matter for regulators.

Evusheld

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the UK intends to place an order of Evusheld in advance of its potential approval by the MHRA.

Maggie Throup: Evusheld is not currently authorised for use in the United Kingdom. We are unable to provide information on negotiations with companies as this is commercially sensitive. Any public announcement would be made after an agreement is reached with companies.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the next covid-19 booster jab is not being offered to people under the age of 75 with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe covid-19.

Maggie Throup: On 21 February 2022, the Government accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on offering a further dose to some individuals. The primary aim is to reduce the risk of severe disease across the population. As protection against severe COVID-19 disease declines slowly, the most vulnerable groups have been prioritised for vaccination.A dose will be offered to those over the age of 75 years old, residents in care homes for older adults and those aged 12 years old and over who are immunosuppressed. The JCVI continues to consider the latest available data on the timing and value of further doses.

Wales Office

Ukraine: Wales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Welsh (a) citizens and (b) residents are of Ukrainian heritage.

Simon Hart: My Department does not hold this information. The UK Government has announced a bespoke humanitarian support package for the people of Ukraine, which includes an expanded Family Visa Scheme enabling British nationals, and people settled here to bring a wider group of family members to the UK.

Russia: Ukraine

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its potential impact on the people in Wales.

Simon Hart: The UK Government is engaging with the Welsh Government and all the Devolved Administrations to keep them appraised of the developing situation on Ukraine, the UK’s response, and potential impacts on the UK. This includes engagement with the First Minister of Wales.

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding for SEND the Government has allocated to local authorities in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018, (e) 2019, (f) 2020 and (g) 2021.

Will Quince: The national funding formula (NFF) continues to distribute core schools funding fairly, based on the needs of schools and their pupil cohorts.The government does not allocate specific amounts for mainstream school pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Within the total funding allocated, local authorities are required by regulations to provide schools with sufficient funds to enable them to provide additional support costing up to £6,000 for each pupil with SEND. When support costs for an individual pupil exceed £6,000 per year, the local authority provides top-up funding from its high needs budget.High needs funding is allocated to local authorities for children and young people with more complex SEND. The total high needs funding allocations for all local authorities since the 2015-16 financial year are as follows:Financial yearTotal high needs block funding (£ million)2015/165,2472016/175,3002017/185,8272018/196,1152019/206,2792020/217,0632021/227,9062022/23[1]8,981[1] 2022/23 figures are provisional, including supplementary funding

Foster Care: Allowances

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that all foster carers are paid (a) the national minimum allowance or (b) more than the national minimum allowance for their services.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the national minimum fostering allowance introduced in 2007.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to review the level of national minimum allowances for foster carers.

Will Quince: The Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards (NMS), issued under the Care Standards Act 2000, set out the expectations that are placed on foster parents and their agencies, and can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/192705/NMS_Fostering_Services.pdf. The department is clear that no one should be ‘out of pocket’ because of their fostering role and expect all foster parents to receive at least the national minimum allowance (NMA) plus any agreed expenses to cover the full cost of caring for each child placed with them (standard 28). Fostering agencies and local authorities are regulated/inspected by Ofsted who can assess compliance with the NMS as part of their inspection of providers.The NMA was developed by calculating the cost of caring for a birth child and accounting for the additional cost of caring for a foster child. The current rates are valid until 6 April 2022. New rates for the 2022/23 financial year will be published shortly.Foster carers also receive qualifying care relief that is made up of two parts: tax exemption on the first £10,000 shared equally among any foster carers in the same household, and tax relief for every week a child is in their care.The payments and benefits foster carers receive to cover the costs of caring for a child were most recently reviewed as part of the Foster Care in England report, Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers's 2018 review of the fostering system in England. The report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foster-care-in-england. As set out in the government’s response, Fostering Better Outcomes, the department believes that the current tax and benefits arrangements offer the best support to foster parents. The response can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fostering-better-outcomes. Foster parents have different statuses for tax and benefits purposes. This has consciously been done to ensure that they get the best support these systems can offer for their unique circumstances.

Department for Education: National Police Chiefs' Council

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times have ministers in his Department met with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Protection in the last five years; and on what dates any such meetings took place.

Will Quince: The National Police Chiefs’ Council are members of the Vulnerable Children Young People Board and Safeguarding Children Reform Implementation Board, and thus share communication with the relevant bodies within the department. They have also attended roundtables with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to discuss issues such as online safeguarding.With regards to the specific ask, information regarding the number of meetings is not readily available, although the former Minister for Children and Families, my hon. Friend for Chelmsford, met with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on 19 May 2021 and 10 June 2021. In addition, ministers will meet with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead where necessary, and cross-government department links and working groups are strong, ensuring that relevant information and concerns are shared.

Offences against Children

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that improvements are made following Serious Case Reviews carried conducted by (a) his Department, (b) local authorities, (c) schools and (d) other relevant parties in England.

Will Quince: Responsibility for how the system learns lessons from serious child safeguarding incidents lies with the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (the Panel) at a national level, and with the safeguarding partners at a local level. Safeguarding partners consist of local authorities, police, and clinical commissioning groups, with schools identified as relevant agencies.The Panel and the safeguarding partners have a shared aim in identifying improvements to practice and in protecting children from harm. All serious incidents that are notified to the department are reviewed by the Panel.Where there are issues of national significance, these are picked up by the Panel. The Panel then considers if a national review is necessary. The government takes the recommendations of the Panel extremely seriously.In the tragic case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, the department requested that Ofsted, along with the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue services, and HM Inspectorate of Probation assess the practice taking place in the local area, through a Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI). Areas of Priority Action arising from this inspection are helping ensure lessons are learnt and service improvements are made across all relevant agencies.

Foster Care: Allowances

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staying put allowances in England; and whether he has plans to introduce a national minimum staying put allowance.

Will Quince: Since the introduction of the Staying Put duty in 2014, the government has provided over £174 million to local authorites to support local implementation including £33 million in the 2021/22 financial year to help young people remain with their former foster carers longer and make a more gradual transition to independence.Each local authority allocation is determined by the proportion of eligible children they have relative to the national total. The formula uses departmental data on the number of young people in foster care immediately before their 18th birthday to identify the percentage of eligible young people in each local authority and this percentage is then applied to the total national funding available.Up until the 2019/20 financial year, the funding was based on an assumption that 25% of eligible care leavers would Stay Put, which is the proportion of care leavers who Stayed Put in the pilots, which ran before the legal duty was introduced. However, in the 2019/20 financial year the latest data showed that across the 18-20 age range around 35% of care leavers were Staying Put. This meant that actual take up was 40% higher than the original assumption. As a result, the department increased funding in the 2020/21 financial year by 40% (£9.5 million) to address this. The department will keep Staying Put funding under review during the next spending review period.

Offences against Children

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what systems and processes are in place to ensure that lessons learnt from Serious Case Reviews carried out locally in England are reflected in the future training and qualifications of (a) teachers, (b) social workers, (c) police officers and (d) other professionals working with children.

Will Quince: Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) are locally led enquiries. Therefore, most recommendations are for local safeguarding partnerships to implement. Local safeguarding partnerships comprise the police, children's social services, health services and others. Schools are also "relevant agencies" of the partnerships as defined in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018’ and further emphasised by ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021’. Many local recommendations will touch on development needs of local workforces and can, therefore, be used to inform the specific training offered for teachers, social workers, police offers and others in the local area.The outcomes of Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) form part of the evidence used by those who deliver professional development programmes for social workers to inform and shape their content. They also inform the post-qualifying standards, and knowledge and skills statements for social workers published by the department.The What Works Centre for Children's Social Care also draws on findings from SCRs. For example, it is currently building the evidence base on what works to equip school staff with the knowledge and tools to effectively support and respond to the needs of vulnerable children.

Schools: Closures

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department made prior to the closure of schools in March 2020 of the impact of closures on safeguarding vulnerable children.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of covid-19 lockdowns on the ability of schools to safeguard vulnerable children in (a) England, (b) regions of England and (c) local authority areas.

Will Quince: The government recognises that attending school is a vital protective factor when it comes to safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children.That is why we kept schools, colleges and nurseries open throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and prioritised the attendance of vulnerable children.Additionally, we took steps to ensure that vulnerable children had access to wider support by ensuring that children's social care services and early help services continued to operate. We worked with local authorities, the police and charities to tackle hidden harms, and we established a Vulnerable Children and Young People survey of local authorities, to make sure that we had an accurate picture of contact between these pupils and social workers.The Public Accounts Committee report into the Department for Education’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak can be found here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmpubacc/240/24006.htm#_idTextAnchor006.

Pupils: Gender Recognition

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to publish guidance for schools on how to support trans children in 2022; and what contact his Department has had with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on previous plans for that guidance.

Will Quince: The department is continuing to work with others across government and in the sector to understand how we can support schools with these complex and sensitive matters.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has recently written to the Chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to accept her offer of advice and support as we determine our next steps in this area and across other equalities issues for schools.

Orphans: Coronavirus

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department provides for children who have been orphaned as a result of covid-19.

Will Quince: Local authorities have a duty to care for any child within their area without a parent or guardian. This includes children who have been orphaned.The law states that when a child cannot live with their parents, local authorities should seek to place them in the care of suitable family members, friends, and other people already connected with the child and approved as foster carers by children’s services. Only where this is not possible should children’s services go on to arrange for a child to live with unrelated carers.All local authorities are required to have a family and friends care policy. The policy should set out services that are available to kinship carers, whatever the type of kinship care arrangement. Services should be aimed at preventing children from becoming or remaining looked after in the care system wherever possible.

Members: Correspondence

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Minister of State for Higher and Further Education plans to respond to the letter of 9 February 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow North West on arranging a meeting to discuss the situation of the Afghan Chevening Scholars.

Michelle Donelan: In response to the letter dated 9 February 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow North West, a diary invitation has been sent.

Higher Education: Females

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for each of the last fifteen years, how many young women (a) turned 18, (b) aged between 18 and 21 entered university, (c) commenced a level 6 qualification in higher education and (d) completed a level 6 qualification in higher education; and what proportion of those who (i) commenced and (ii) completed a level 6 qualification in higher education did so in STEM subjects.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for each of the last fifteen years how many young men (a) turned 18, (b) aged between 18 and 21 entered university, (c) commenced a level 6 qualification in higher education and (d) completed a level 6 qualification in higher education; and what proportion of those who (i) commenced and (ii) completed a level 6 qualification in higher education did so in STEM subjects.

Michelle Donelan: The department’s annual publication ‘Participation measures in higher education’ provides a time series of the initial participation of students in higher education (HE), available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/participation-measures-in-higher-education. This release includes age-specific data showing the number of English domiciled entrants to higher education in the UK who participate for a minimum period of six months for the first time. It also includes age-specific population estimates for England, which were calculated from Office for National Statistics population data, available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/analysisofpopulationestimatestoolforuk.These two sources are combined to derive the Higher Education Initial Participation measure, calculated as the sum of age specific participation rates for 17 to 30-year-olds in England. Statistics are published for the 2006/07 to 2019/20 academic years.The bespoke table below has been generated from the publication containing age and gender breakdowns for initial entrants to higher education, as well as the associated population estimates for England. The table is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/debf7f5f-9481-40d7-8f7e-0e915c21c7c6.This shows, for example, that the 18-year-old population estimates for England in 2019/20 were 301,745 for females and 318,390 for males. There were 163,370 female initial entrants and 134,285 male initial entrants aged 18-21 in the 2019/20 academic year.The other breakdowns requested are not available on the same basis as the figures stated above. However, detailed statistics on entry and qualification in higher education have been published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) as far back as 1994/95.HESA statistics refer to HE students at UK higher education providers only[1]. Explicit data mapped to National Qualifications Framework level 6 are not published by HESA, however first degrees can be selected as an indicative estimate to observe trends over time. Further details on the qualifications are available here: https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels.Counts of student entrants and enrolments are available by subject (including science subject areas) and sex for the academic years 2019/20 to 2020/21 in Figure 13 of HESA’s Higher Education Student Data pages, available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb262/figure-13.Counts for the academic years 2014/15 to 2018/19[2] are available in Table 9 of HESA’s Higher Education Student Data pages: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-9.[3]Counts of student qualifiers are available by subject (including science subject areas) and sex for the academic years 2019/20 to 2020/21 in Figure 17 of HESA’s Higher Education Student Data pages: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb262/figure-17.Counts for the academic years 2014/15 to 2018/19[4] are available in Figure 17 of HESA’s Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2018/19 publication: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb255/figure-17.[5]HESA’s publication archive for academic years prior to 2014/15 can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/publications#students-higher-education. [1] This does not include students studying higher education qualifications at further education colleges.[2] Figures prior to the academic year 2019/20 exclude a small minority registered at Alternative Providers.[3] A new subject classification system, the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) was introduced in the academic year 2019/20, hence figures for 2018/19 and earlier are not directly comparable with the following years.[4] Figures prior to the academic year 2019/20 exclude a small minority registered at Alternative Providers.[5] A new subject classification system, the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) was introduced in the academic year 2019/20, hence figures for 2018/19 and earlier are not directly comparable with the following years.

Education: Standards

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the Unit for Future Skills is planned to work alongside Local Skills Improvement Plans.

Alex Burghart: The Unit for Future Skills is being set up to bring together data and intelligence on skills and jobs from across government. This will be made available to local and central government, employers, the education sector and academics, and to individuals.An early focus for its work will be to provide data and evidence to employer representative bodies and other local partners. This is so Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) can be built on the best available skills, labour market information, and insights. The unit will be drawing on lessons learned from the trailblazer LSIPs to understand how it can best support employer representative bodies and local stakeholders when LSIPs are rolled out nationally.

Adult Education: Finance

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to make legislative changes that will affect the status of Specialist Designated Institutions (SDIs) as part of the statutory further education sector and as set out in the Further and Higher Education Act 1992; and whether SDIs remain eligible for grant funding as set out in that Act.

Alex Burghart: The government does not plan to make any legislative changes that will affect the status of designated institutions, including specialist providers, as part of the statutory further education sector.Designated institutions, as defined by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, remain eligible for grant funding.

Training: Regional Planning and Development

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, of the 200,000 additional people completing high-quality skills training referred to in the Levelling Up in the United Kingdom White Paper, how many of those people he expects to be on (a) STEM courses and (b) apprenticeships; and how many are young people up to the age of 25.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide a breakdown of the number of additional people expected to complete high-quality skills training, as set out in the Levelling Up in the United Kingdom White Paper, in each year between 2022 and 2030.

Alex Burghart: The mission of 200,000 additional people completing high-quality skills training will focus on increasing the number of adults (those aged 19 and above) completing high quality skills training, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses and apprenticeships.We know that successfully completing these courses improves people’s earnings and life chances and helps them get good jobs.The department already has a range of high-quality training offers available to adults across every region of the country including Skills Bootcamps, our Free Course for Jobs offer as well as access to free courses in English, maths, and basic digital skills.Meeting the mission will depend on national government, Mayoral Combined Authorities, local authorities, employers and skills providers working together.The missions are rolling decade-long endeavours and will be reviewed periodically by the UK government.

Small Businesses: T-levels

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help ensure that all SMEs are able to offer t-Level placements across the UK.

Alex Burghart: Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key to ensuring that industry placements are a successful component of T Levels, as they make up a large proportion of the employer landscape. We are engaging directly with employers of all sizes, including SMEs, through the department’s employer engagement teams to explain the benefits of T Levels and of industry hosting placements, and to help provide a strong pipeline of employers, across all sectors, ready to offer placements.We are providing an extensive programme of support to help ensure employers of all sizes, including SMEs, are able to deliver placements. This includes a comprehensive employer support package, which offers guidance, workshops, and webinars, as well as tailored advice and direct hands-on support, to help build employer confidence and capability to deliver high-quality industry placements. We have also implemented several different delivery models to ensure placements can be delivered by employers of different sizes, across all industries and locations, and our T Level ambassador network is enabling employers, including SMEs, to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements. Finally, we have put in place a short-term incentive fund, offering employers £1,000 per industry placement, to encourage employers to offer placements during the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been warmly welcomed by SMEs.We will continue to monitor the delivery of placements and work closely with employers, including SMEs, to identify what support they will need going forward to enable them to deliver high quality placements.

Local Skills Improvement Plans: Carbon Emissions

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on ensuring that local skills improvement plans contribute to the UK's net zero targets.

Alex Burghart: The government introduced an amendment to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill which ensures that skills required in relation to jobs that support compliance with the UK net zero emissions target are considered in the development of Local Skills Improvement Plans. The Department for Education will work closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as we develop statutory guidance on this to ensure we have the right skills to meet the requirements of the net zero transition.

Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 2 Assessment Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2019

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 22 to Question 126842, whether Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 2 Assessment Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2019 was laid with affirmative or negative procedure.

Mr Robin Walker: The Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 2 Assessment Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2019 was not subject to parliamentary procedure and was made in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 87(3)(c) and 210(7)(a) of the Education Act 2002.

Schools: LGBT+ People

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to guidance entitled Political Impartiality in Schools published on 17 February 2022, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of that guidance with the requirement for schools to adopt LGBTQ+ inclusive approaches, as required by his Department's statutory guidance entitled Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education.

Mr Robin Walker: Legal duties on political impartiality do not supersede schools’ other statutory requirements. Both the ‘Political Impartiality in Schools’ guidance and the statutory guidance for Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) support schools to teach a broad and balanced curriculum that will enable all pupils to be healthy and safe and to equip them with the knowledge, skills and values that will prepare them to be informed and active citizens in modern Britain.The ‘Political Impartiality in Schools’ guidance sets out the issues schools should be considering to determine whether an issue is political, including whether it is subject to ongoing ethical debate, without a clear consensus in public opinion. It also provides scenarios chosen in part to help build an understanding of what constitutes a political issue. Ultimately school leaders and teachers will need to use reasonable judgement to determine what is and is not a ‘political issue’. Where schools remain unsure if a topic is a ‘political issue’ it is advisable to avoid promoting a particular view to pupils, and instead give a balanced factual account of the topic, in line with the legal duties on political impartiality. The guidance is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools.Schools should take a reasonable and proportionate approach to ensuring political impartiality, alongside their other responsibilities, including their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 (including the Public Sector Equality Duty for state-funded schools) and the statutory requirements to teach RSHE which is clear that pupils should be taught LGBT content at a timely point in their school years. At secondary level pupils should be taught the facts and the law about sex, sexuality, sexual health, and gender identity, in an age-appropriate and inclusive way.As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools will have flexibility over how they deliver these subjects, so they can develop an integrated approach that is sensitive to the needs and background of all pupils.

Teachers: Training

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to (a) reinstate or (b) increase teaching bursaries for subjects where training bursaries were reduced or suspended in 2021.

Mr Robin Walker: For initial teacher training (ITT) courses starting in the 2022/23 academic year, the department is continuing to offer a £24,000 tax-free bursary or prestigious scholarships worth £26,000 tax-free in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics.In addition, the department has reinstated £15,000 tax-free bursaries for geography and design and technology that we last offered in 2020/21. We have also increased the bursary for languages from £10,000 to £15,000, and the biology bursary from £7,000 to £10,000, compared to those offered in 2021/22.The department reviews bursaries each year to take account of a number of factors including historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. Being able to change bursary amounts gives us the flexibility to respond to the need to attract new teachers, and means we are spending money where it is needed most.Therefore, the department will review the need for bursaries across all subjects again, including the value of current bursaries, before announcing the offer for academic year 2023/24 this autumn.

Education: Genito-urinary Medicine

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help educate school children on access to sexual health services.

Mr Robin Walker: The department made relationships education (for primary school pupils), relationships and sex education (for secondary school pupils) and health education (for all pupils in state-funded schools) compulsory subjects from September 2020.The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance is intended to help teachers deliver these subjects consistently to a high quality and with confidence, and is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education. Pupils should learn about how all aspects of health can be affected by choices they make in sex and relationships, positively or negatively, for example physical, emotional, mental, sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing. The statutory content is explicit about reproductive health, including fertility and sexually transmitted infections. It is clear that pupils should know how and where to access confidential sexual and reproductive health advice and treatment.We have also produced RSHE teacher training modules to support teachers to deliver these topics safely, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health. The topic of ‘intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health’ includes content on sexually transmitted infections and sexual health advice which emphasises that everyone, regardless of age, has the right to free, confidential sexual health advice and services.

Schools: Coronavirus

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of school attendance targets on clinically vulnerable families attempting to shield from covid-19.

Mr Robin Walker: Regular attendance at school is vital for children’s education, wellbeing and long-term development. School attendance is mandatory and parents have a duty, under section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to ensure that their child of compulsory age receives an efficient full-time education either by attendance at school or otherwise. No targets for school attendance are set by government, but attendance statistics are collected and published on a regular basis.Following expert clinical advice and the successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine programme, people previously considered to be particularly vulnerable, clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), and high or higher-risk are no longer advised to shield.Children and young people previously considered CEV should attend school and should follow the same COVID-19 guidance as the rest of the population. This guidance is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. Children and young people with a weakened immune system should follow the Department of Health and Social Care and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk from COVID-19, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk. If, however, a child or young person has been advised to isolate or reduce their social contact by their specialist, due to the nature of their medical condition or treatment they should continue to follow the advice of their specialist.The NHS is also now vaccinating the most at-risk 5 to 11 year olds, ensuring they get their vital dose of protection.As usual, school leaders continue to have discretion to grant leaves of absence in exceptional circumstances. Where a pupil is not attending school for reasons related to COVID-19, we expect the school to offer them immediate access to remote education. Schools must also have regard to the expectations for remote education published on GOV.UK: https://get-help-with-remote-education.education.gov.uk/statutory-obligations.

T-levels

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure work placements for t-levels are available in every town in the UK.

Alex Burghart: Ensuring employers are made aware of T Levels and are well prepared to deliver high quality industry placements is key to the success of T Level delivery. We have invested over £200 million over the past 4 years to help providers build their capacity and relationships with employers, and have developed a comprehensive package of advice and guidance to support providers to deliver placements, as well as networking opportunities to share best practice.We are engaging directly with employers of all sizes throughout England, via the department’s employer engagement teams, to promote the benefits of T Levels and of hosting industry placements. We are providing an extensive programme of employer focussed support to help ensure employers are able to deliver placements. This includes a comprehensive employer support package, which offers guidance, workshops and webinars, as well as tailored advice and direct hands-on support, to help build employer confidence, and capability and capacity to deliver high-quality industry placements. We have also implemented different delivery models to ensure placements can be delivered by employers across all industries and locations. Our T Level ambassador network is enabling employers to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements. Finally, we have put in place a short-term incentive fund, offering employers £1,000 per industry placement, to encourage employers to offer placements during the pandemic, which has been warmly welcomed by employers.We will continue to monitor the delivery of placements throughout England and work closely with employers to identify what support they will need going forward to enable them to deliver high quality placements.

Vocational Guidance: STEM Subjects

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that young people in every region of the UK have access to STEM specific careers provision.

Alex Burghart: We know that supporting schools to deliver science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related careers education is important so that young people are aware of the full range of careers associated with STEM subjects.We work with The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to support schools and colleges in England to achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, the government’s careers framework. Gatsby Benchmark 4, linking curriculum learning to careers, is particularly relevant. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of career pathways.Gatsby Benchmark 5, encounters with employers and employees, sets out that schools should give pupils access to meaningful encounters with a range of employers and workplaces. Secondary schools are expected to provide pupils with at least one meaningful interaction with employers per pupil per year, with a particular focus on STEM employers. These interactions open young people’s eyes to a range of different career possibilities and can challenge stereotypes as well as helping to prepare them for the workplace.The CEC provide resources to support schools and colleges including a series of STEM toolkits, a relaunched STEM careers webpage with an increased focus on department funded resources, and several Careers Hubs are currently running innovative STEM focussed careers projects.Education is a devolved matter, and approaches to careers education may differ in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

Apprentices: STEM Subjects

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to increase the number of apprenticeships in STEM professions.

Alex Burghart: We recognise the demand for science, technology, engineering, construction, digital and maths skills is increasing, which is why ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupation is a key priority for this government.Apprenticeships are a great way for people to receive high quality training and begin, or progress in, a successful career in STEM. We have put employers at the heart of our apprenticeship system, empowering them to design the standards they need with the help of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. There are over 340 employer-designed apprenticeship standards in STEM, including Cyber Security Technician at level 3, and Civil Engineer (degree) at level 6.It is encouraging to see that in the 2020/21 academic year, there were 78,100 apprenticeship starts in STEM, making up 24% of all apprenticeship starts that year.We are continuing to promote apprenticeships in schools through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme and are working with our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network of influential employers such as Siemens, Bombardier and Rolls-Royce to promote best practices in recruiting and retaining people from all backgrounds in STEM apprenticeships.We continue to engage with other government departments, including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to ensure that apprenticeships continue to meet the skill needs of all industries.

Training: Regional Planning and Development

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to table 2.3 in the Levelling Up in the United Kingdom White Paper, what steps he plans to take to ensure that local authorities that fall under level 1 devolution plans are able to feed local skills needs into the development of Local Skills Improvement Plans.

Alex Burghart: The Levelling Up White Paper sets out how local areas with devolved adult education functions and the core Adult Education Budget provide input into Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs). However, we will also encourage other local authorities to share relevant local knowledge and intelligence with employer representative bodies that can inform the development of LSIPs. We will set out our expectations for engagement with stakeholders in statutory guidance.

Ministry of Justice

HM Prison and Probation Service: Disclosure of Information

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) plans to disclose their relevant records to Mr Paul Cleeland, as promised by the chief executive of HMPPS in her letter to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe dated 20 December 2021.

Victoria Atkins: HM Prison and Probation Service attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from MPs, either directly or on behalf of their constituents.The delay in responding to the Hon. member and his constituent is due to an outbreak of Covid-19 in the team dealing with the request. I have asked for the records to be made available as soon as possible. The team expect to complete the review and disclose the records by the end of March 2022.

Legal Ombudsman: Staff

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) current and (b) recommended level of staffing of the Legal Ombudsman is.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the level of staff retention in the Legal Ombudsman is.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve staff retention within the Legal Ombudsman.

James Cartlidge: The Office for Legal Complaints reports that, in February 2022, the full-time equivalent (FTE) people employed was 255.9 (FTE), against a target operating model forecast of c. 267.7 FTE.The total annual turnover percentage (as of January 2022) for voluntary leavers was 21.8% of the average total permanent headcount.During 2021/22, retention has been affected by a challenging recruitment market. The Office for Legal Complaints is benchmarking pay and employee terms and conditions with other comparable competitive public sector employers. They are also developing a wider attraction and retention strategy that increases their national reach to attract and retain talent, pilots hub locations and learns from the experiences of hybrid working.

Reoffenders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of offenders released from prison in the last three years are awaiting a court hearing after being charged with a subsequent offence after their release.

James Cartlidge: The information requested is not held centrally and could not be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid Agency: Finance

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will publish the funding agreements for Legal Aid Agency's contracts that are expected to commence from September 2022.

James Cartlidge: A procurement process for Criminal Legal Aid Services is ongoing. The deadline for submitting a tender closed at 5pm on 20 November 2021 and applicants have been notified of the outcome of their application. Contracts awarded under this procurement process are scheduled to commence on 1 October 2022. Copies of the draft Contracts are available online Standard Crime Contract 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The specific levels of remuneration payable under this contract are set out in Regulations - The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (as amended.) Funding for legal aid is on a demand led basis; the Legal Aid Agency does not have a specific budget allocation for delivery of legal aid services under its contracts.

Criminal Proceedings

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish figures on the number of criminal cases delayed by a lack of (a) defence and (b) prosecution counsel; and what the average length is of those delays.

James Cartlidge: The Secretary of State for Justice does not currently publish figures on the number of criminal cases delayed by a lack of (a) defence and (b) prosecution counsel. This specific data is not recorded. However, the Ministry of Justice publishes a range of statistics relating to the criminal justice system which can be found at Statistics at MOJ - Ministry of Justice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Courts: Digital Technology

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2022 to Question 127419 on Courts: Digital Technology, if he will publish (a) any interim analysis of the performance of the Common Platform tool and (b) the number of cases processed per day in courts using that tool.

James Cartlidge: It is not our practice to publish internal analysis. The Ministry of Justice is conducting an evaluation of the HMCTS Reform programme to ensure that the effects of reform can be identified and assessed. Findings from the evaluation will be fed into the development of the Reform Programme to maximise learning. An interim report is planned for publication in 2022 with the final report being completed at the end of the Reform Programme. MOJ published measures include both Common Platform and legacy systems together to provide a coherent picture of activity.

Probate

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish figures on the average length of time for probate to be granted in each of the last five years.

Tom Pursglove: Average waiting times for probate grants, from July 2019 to September 2021, are published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly (Table 25): https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly. Information covering up to December 2021 will be published on 31 March. More recent management information published by HMCTS (which does not go through the same level of quality assurance and analysis as the Family Court Statistics Quarterly) provides waiting time information up to December 2021. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/hmcts-management-information-december-2021. The improvement of the online probate system remains a priority for HMCTS to ensure more applications can be issued first time and resources can be focused on reducing waiting times. HMCTS continues to collaborate with its users to enhance the service and the latest information on this can be found at: https://insidehmcts.blog.gov.uk/2022/02/28/working-together-to-avoid-delays-to-probate-applications/ (opens in a new tab).Prior to 2019, applicants had to travel to town centre locations to swear an oath before a court officer or a commissioner for oaths. This could involve multiple visits as any issues with the application were largely dealt with before the application was submitted to the court. Reforms in 2019 saw this process replaced with statements of truth, removing the burden of travelling to swear an oath, and enabling applicants to apply online from the comfort of their own home. This change in process means the point systems recording the start of waiting times fundamentally changed and therefore comparable waiting time data over the last five years is not available.

Powers of Attorney

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to publish a response to the consultation on Modernising Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Tom Pursglove: I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave on Monday 28 February to PQ 125451.

Prisoners' Release: Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have left custody and gone into (a) exempt accommodation and (b) temporary probation accommodation in each of the last five years.

Kit Malthouse: Information relating to exempt housing is not held centrally. The Department for Work and Pensions works with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the oversight of exempt housing. Data relating to settled accommodation, unsettled accommodation and bail/probation accommodation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics#community-performance-statistics.Management information relating to the accommodation status of individuals at the end of their period of supervision will be reviewed within two years of the first full year’s operation of the new unified probation model.We recognise that accommodation is a key priority as it is often the first step in an individual’s resettlement journey and we continue to work with councils and charities to secure suitable accommodation, while investigating long-term solutions to prevent homelessness and help offenders turn their backs on crime.

Offenders: Alcoholic Drinks

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders have been tagged with sobriety tags in England since their launch in March 2021.

Kit Malthouse: While ability to impose AAMR orders went live in England on 31 March 2021, data are available from 1 April 2021. There were 2,383 alcohol monitoring orders and licence conditions imposed from 1 April 2021 to 17 December 2021 across England and Wales. The compliance rate with these orders was 97.4%. The majority of these were for community sentences but the figure includes a small number of alcohol monitoring on licence cases for prison leavers, which commenced on 17 November 2021 for offenders being supervised in Wales and will be rolled out to England this summer. Under the ambitious £183m plan to expand the use of electronic monitoring, alcohol tags will have been used on more than 12,000 prison leavers by 2024/2025. We are unable to give a specific figure for offenders electronically monitored with an alcohol monitoring tag in England alone.

Prisoners' Release: Employment

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support prison leavers to find work.

Kit Malthouse: To improve the number of prison leavers who find work, we are putting additional emphasis on initiatives which offer offenders the chance to work in prison, on Release on Temporary Licence and on release and build stronger links with employers. In last year’s Prisons Strategy White Paper, we announced a range of measures to improve outcomes for prison leavers. Alongside our new Employment Advisory Boards that build links between prisons and industry, we also need to ensure that prisons are performing and developing these links. So, we are establishing ‘Employment Hubs’ which are the equivalent of a ‘job centre in a prison’. Prisoners can find out about opportunities sourced by New Futures Network and other partners, as well as access support with applications. There are 23 in operation currently. We have also been trialling a new role - a dedicated employment advisor to improve employment outcomes by offering case-level support and matching candidates to roles, in ten prisons. All of these measures will be rolled out across the prison estate.

Prisoners' Release: Employment

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison leavers find work within six months of release.

Kit Malthouse: We know that employment reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. Internal data suggests that 14% of prisoners are in employment six months following release. Further validated data will be regularly published in future, with the first update no later than July this year. We are determined to increase the number of prison leavers who find work. To do so, we will deliver a presumption in favour of offering offenders the chance to work in prison, on Release on Temporary Licence and on release. HMP Five Wells, which opened last week, is the first jail to have been designed with education, training and jobs for prisoners on release as its main purposes. There will be a new presumption that prisoners should spend their time behind bars learning new skills and getting trained in vital industries so they can find work immediately when back in the community and plug local labour shortages. We will also build stronger links with employers. Last week, the Deputy Prime Minister announced plans for business experts to spearhead a drive to get prison leavers into stable employment so they can break the cycle of crime. Following a successful trial, leaders from firms such as Lotus Cars and Sodexo will chair new Employment Advisory Boards across the prison estate. The boards will act as a link between jails and employers, making sure that offenders use their time in prison to gain the skills and links to job opportunities they need to head straight into stable work upon release.

Courts

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many courts in England have separate entrances to allow victims of crime to avoid the accused.

James Cartlidge: HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) buildings have facilities and operational practices in place to make sure HMCTS fulfils its commitment to provide victims attending court with a different entrance to the defendant, and a separate waiting area before and after a case is heard, where possible. This is all done in accordance with the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales and the Witness Charter.The most recent audit that looked at dedicated separate entrances for victims and witnesses was carried out in 2019. Of 359 courts who were surveyed, 170 (47%) had a dedicated separate entrance for victims and witnesses. Courts without dedicated separate entrances have processes to enable victims and witnesses to use alternative secure routes to get into a court.

Ministry of Justice: Accidents

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2022 to Question 126657 on Ministry of Justice: Accidents, if he will publish figures on how much compensation his Department has paid out following accidents that have taken place in courts in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

James Cartlidge: The following table sets out the total amount of compensation paid to individuals by the Ministry of Justice in each of the last three financial years, where those payments relate to claims or potential claims made against the Department in respect of accidents that took place on the estate administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service:  2019/202020/212021/22*Compensation total£181, 521126,545£339,477*The figures for 2021/22 are correct as at end of February 2022 Compensation payments made to individuals, as listed, do not include any legal costs that might also have been paid. Variation in levels of payments between years is a determined by a range of factors, but principally the severity of the injuries and associated impacts sustained or suffered by respective claimants.

Department for International Trade

UK Export Finance: Russia

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much of the £1,860,018 maximum liability for UK Export Finance arising between 2014-15 and 2020-21 from the underwriting of contract bonds for exports to the Russian Federation is still at stake as of the end of February 2022.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much of the £6,968,303 maximum liability for UK Export Finance arising between 2014-15 and 2020-21 from the provision of insurance for exports to the Russian Federation is still at stake as of the end of February 2022.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much of the £3,426,277.44 maximum liability for UK Export Finance arising between 2014-15 and 2020-21 from the underwriting of working capital for exports to the Russian Federation is still at stake as of the end of February 2022.

Mike Freer: UK Export Finance’s remaining exposure for support to exporters who were exporting to the Russian Federation between 2014-15 and 2020-21 as at 28 February 2022 (the latest date for which complete figures are available) are as shown in the table below. Underwriting of contract bondsProvision of insuranceUnderwriting of working capital£809,075£0£0

Exports: Russia

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to exports to the Russian Federation, what total value of export wins were achieved by her Department in each financial year from 2014-15 to 2020-21.

Mike Freer: The Department does not publish this level of information. Only the overall annual value of export wins is published. Taking more granular cuts of the data increases its risk of being disclosive.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ukraine: Humanitarian Situation

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

James Cleverly: Russian aggression will have a massive human cost, causing death, displacement and destruction of vital civilian infrastructure. We are encouraging international partners to speak as one in condemning this action, and demanding that all parties guarantee full humanitarian access, respect human rights and uphold International Humanitarian Law.

Vladimir Putin

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will sanction the President of Russia.

James Cleverly: We have imposed sanctions on President Putin.

Ukraine: Refugees

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the evacuation of people where needed from (a) Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, (b) LGBT+ minorities and (c) religious minorities from Ukraine; and if she will make a statement.

James Cleverly: The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. As of 2 March, over 1 million people are reported by the UN to have left Ukraine [link: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine]. These numbers will continue to rise while Russia continues this reprehensible and needless attack.

Baltic States: Visas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the early issuing of visas for residents of the Baltic states, including for spouses and family members.

James Cleverly: The Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary regularly discuss a range of issues.

Ukraine: Refugees

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of people fleeing war in Ukraine who are not Ukrainian or British nationals.

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the number of people from Commonwealth countries currently in Ukraine.

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the number of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma people affected by war in Ukraine.

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of discrimination faced by Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities in Ukraine.

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of discrimination faced by minority communities seeking to leave Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The scale of displacement and humanitarian suffering as a result of the conflict in Ukraine is serious.The best source of statistics on population displacement can be found at https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine

Russia: Sanctions

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the impact on the Russian invasion of Ukraine of British sanctions and (b) potential options for future sanctions and actions that the UK Government may take against Russia.

James Cleverly: The Prime Minister has announced the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions Russia has ever seen. With our allies and partners, we have imposed the most punishing sanctions to inflict lasting impact. We will squeeze Putin's regime and all those close to him who are responsible for the appalling attack on Ukraine. The impact of sanctions has been significant. The big drop in the rouble in Russia suggests that investors expect the impact of sanctions on Russia to be huge. These sanctions send a clear message that nothing is off the table.

Russia: Ukraine

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Chinese Government on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The Foreign Secretary has spoken with her Chinese counterpart .The United Kingdom is leading the charge to rally international support for Ukraine, condemn Russian aggression, and to respond alongside our allies with strength.

Russia: Sanctions

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department have had with representatives of British Overseas Territories to ensure that cryptocurrency exchanges based in those territories are not used by (a) individuals trying to evade sanctions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and (b) the Russian state for the purposes of purchasing materials for the war in Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The United Kingdom's sanctions regimes apply to all of the Overseas Territories, who work with the UK Government to implement these regimes. The Overseas Territories are committed to upholding international standards in financial services, including those set by the Financial Action Task force on anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing. This includes requirements on regulating virtual assets.

Ukraine: Visas

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to enable Ukrainian relatives of (a) British nationals living in the Ukraine and (b) Ukrainian nationals living in the UK to apply for urgent visas to the UK for travel, work, study, or to reunite with family.

James Cleverly: In a statement to the House on 28 February, the Home Secretary announced changes that allow Ukrainians in the UK to have their visas temporarily extended or be able to switch onto different visa routes. The Home Office has also exceptionally introduced some concessions in the Family Migration route to assist immediate family members of British Nationals normally living in Ukraine with their British national family member, who intend to return to or relocate to the UK with their British National family member.

Russia: Ukraine

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Pakistani Government on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

James Cleverly: Lord Ahmad spoke to Foreign Minister Qureshi about Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 27 February. Our High Commissioner in Islamabad has discussed with Prime Minister Khan and senior officials in Islamabad; and officials in London have spoken frequently to the Pakistan High Commissioner in London. The United Kingdom is leading the charge to rally international support for Ukraine, condemn Russian aggression, and to respond alongside our allies with strength.

Ukraine: Minority Groups

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the risk to people from (a) Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, (b) LGBT+ minorities and (c) religious minorities as a result of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine; and if she will make a statement.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department is offering to people from (a) Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, (b) LGBT+ minorities and (c) religious minorities in the Ukraine; and if she will make a statement.

James Cleverly: We are concerned about credible reports of discrimination against people of African, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds amongst those seeking to leave Ukraine. The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. Combating violence and discrimination against minorities forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. We have pledged £220 million of aid, which includes £120 million of humanitarian assistance and deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, who are receiving and supporting refugees fleeing Ukraine, through providing logistics advice and analysis of needs on the ground.

Afghanistan: Chevening Scholarships Programme

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Chevening alumni there are in Afghanistan.

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Chevening alumni in Afghanistan are categorised as vulnerable.

James Cleverly: It is not known how many Chevening alumni are currently in Afghanistan.

Ukraine: Refugees

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts on establishing safe travel routes for Ukrainian citizens seeking safety in the UK.

James Cleverly: The Foreign Secretary has spoken to many of her European and other colleagues in recent weeks, including EU Foreign Policy Chief Borrell, France, Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States. The Prime Minister has met with world leaders including those of the US, Italy, Poland, Romania, France, Germany, the European Council, the European Commission and NATO to discuss the situation in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary also travels regularly to meet with international counterparts, including from the NATO, G7 and Visegrad Group.

Ukraine: Refugees

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Polish counterpart on reports that some (a) people of colour and (b) LGBTIQA+ people are not being allowed to cross the border when fleeing Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks with Polish Foreign Minister Rau where these issues are raised.

Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international counterparts to open safe humanitarian corridors from Zaporizhia Oblast and southern Ukraine to (a) Moldova, (b) Romania and (c) Bulgaria.

James Cleverly: As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the house on 28 February, we have called on Russia to enable humanitarian access and safe passage for civilians to flee the violence. We have worked tirelessly with partners to ensure the demand for Russia to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law is clear. We have committed to £120 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine both for support inside the country and to those who have crossed its borders.

British Embassy Warsaw

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) re-open the British Embassy in Warsaw to tackle the needs of people connected with the war in Ukraine and (b) ensure a full and active consular service for British citizens seeking support in the region surrounding Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The British Embassy Warsaw continues to offer a full range of consular services. We have also established a temporary consular presence in Przemyśl, which can provide initial consular assistance for those arriving in Southern Poland from Ukraine. British nationals requiring consular assistance in Poland should call +48 22 311 0000. Phones are answered 24/7.FCDO Rapid Deployment Teams have also been deployed to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to support British nationals in need of consular assistance. A range of assistance is available in these countries and we have specially trained consular staff at the borders to help British nationals.

Ukraine: Refugees

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to facilitate the delivery of aid from those in Britain who wish to take (a) food, (b) medicine and (c) other supplies to people who have fled from Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The UK Government advises people to donate cash through trusted charities and humanitarian partners, rather than donating goods. Unsolicited donations, although well-meaning, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent support from getting through. Trusted humanitarian partners are working with the Government of Ukraine and countries in the region to assess needs and delivering the assistance most required to meet those needs. It is usually more efficient for aid organisations to procure items that are required themselves, and locally, than to process, store, and distribute donated goods.

Ukraine: British Nationals Abroad

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of British citizens remaining in Ukraine.

James Cleverly: We do not comment on our own internal planning assumptions, which are drawn from a variety of sources. We are advising British nationals to register their presence in Ukraine on gov.uk, which allows us to provide the latest information. The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority and therefore we are advising British nationals to leave Ukraine immediately if they judge it is safe to do so. British nationals who require consular assistance can call our 24 hour helpline: 44 (0) 1908 516666 or +380 44 490 3660.

Russia: Sanctions

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the Government has not implemented every sanction possible on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

James Cleverly: Our package of sanctions are the strongest economic measures the UK has ever enacted. They will inflict devastating consequences on Putin's regime and Russia. We are coordinating with our allies to ensure as strong a package as possible to create maximum impact - nothing is off the table.

Russia: Sanctions

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Russian banks are not subject to the UK's sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine; and for what reason those banks have not been sanctioned.

James Cleverly: We have acted swiftly to hold Russia to account for its unprovoked attack on Ukraine. We have frozen the assets of 10 banks, which caught over 100 of their subsidiary banks. All but three Russian-owned banks identified by the Central Bank of Russia as systemically important lending institutions are now subject to UK sanctions, capturing the vast bulk of the sector. It is vital to obtain evidence and prepare cases fully before sanctioning individuals and organisations. We are coordinating with our allies to ensure as strong a package of sanctions as possible to create maximum impact- nothing is off the table.

Russia: Sanctions

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to impose sanctions on the (a) President and (b) Foreign Minister of Russia.

James Cleverly: We have imposed sanctions on President Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, major Russian banks and more than 100 companies and oligarchs at the heart of Putin's regime, and Belarus.The new sanctions, which are targeted personally at Putin and Lavrov, will see any UK-based assets frozen immediately and UK companies will be barred from providing goods, services or assets to them in future.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Detainees

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in relation to the arrest and detention of (a) members of the organisation Lutte Pour Le Changement and (b) other human rights defenders.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in protecting (a) human rights defenders from threats and intimidation, (b) the lives of human rights defenders and (c) the life of human rights defender, Dieudonné Tshimpidimbua.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the consistently high number of abuses and violations and the restriction of civil and political rights. We expressed our concerns about repression of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society actors at the 48th UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in October 2021. We are following the arrest and sentencing of members of Lutte Pour Le Changement (LUCHA) and continue to raise the importance of free, peaceful democratic activism with our counterparts in DRC. The UK supports the work carried out by the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO, to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence. In 2021/22, the UK will contribute approximately £45 million and three military staff officers to MONUSCO, who contribute to the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO). UNJHRO continue to implement protection mechanisms for human rights defenders and journalists. In 2021, 762 cases of threats and human rights violations against beneficiaries were addressed, including 595 human rights defenders.

Kenya: Police Brutality

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she is offering to the Government of Kenya to tackle violence against women and girls perpetrated by police and state security forces.

Vicky Ford: In 2021-22, the UK has allocated £3.1 million (£9 million over the past 3 years) towards delivering accountable security and justice services to Kenyans and reducing conflict, insecurity and violence against women and girls. UK financial support and political lobbying has helped secure: the launch of Kenya's second National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to strengthen women's agency and participation in the country's peace and security; high-level commitment by the Kenyan police to an integrated Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) policy framework; and the establishment of a Gender Directorate within the National Police Service.During my visit to Kenya on 17-18 January I met representatives of women's organisations from across the country to hear about their concerns around the upcoming elections. The UK has supported the National Police Service to develop guidelines to support professional and accountable police practice (including in SGBV management) during elections and trained 310 frontline officers on gender and conflict sensitive police response and public order management. We are also providing additional support for women's access to justice.

African Charter on Human and People's Rights: Disability

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the ratification of the African Union’s African Disability Protocol.

Vicky Ford: The UK welcomes initiatives across the African continent to uphold and extend the rights of people with disabilities, including the African Union's (AU) adoption of its African Disability Protocol. Ratification of the protocol is a matter for individual AU member states.

Guinea: Security

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support (a) ECOWAS and (b) the African Union in relation to the inclusion of criteria relating to accountability and justice for (i) victims of the 2009 Conakry stadium massacre and (ii) victims of other past violations by state military and security service actors in Guinea, in the process for the lifting of sanctions and the normalisation of relations with Guinea.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government has repeatedly supported calls for those responsible for the 2009 Conakry stadium massacre to be brought to justice. We maintain sanctions against five individuals accused of involvement in the stadium massacre. We welcome the work of The Global Survivors Fund and its Guinean partners in designing a reparation project to provide survivors with psychological, medical and financial support. We continue to monitor the situation and engage with international and regional partners, including through our Embassy in Conakry.

Nigeria: Renewable Energy

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to UK boosts access to finance for women-owned businesses and clean energy projects in Nigeria, published on 21 February 2022, in what way the £10 million finance through Infracredit to unlock institutional investment into off-grid clean energy projects in Nigeria will be structured; what return is expected on that funding; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential risks and merits of providing that finance.

Vicky Ford: The £10 million concessional UKAid will be used to leverage pension fund and insurance money into a series of energy access developmental projects e.g. minigrids, cold hubs and clean cooking which align with Nigeria's and the UK's climate commitments at COP26. Decarbonisation and energy access can only be achieved by leveraging this institutional capital. There is a target ratio of at least 50 percent institutional or commercial capital in each investment. The UK's funding is debt and returnable by the investee companies to the trust fund, with a lower interest rate and the UK money potentially being first loss. This concessional finance makes it viable for the institutional funders to join. It will be used only in those projects which InfraCredit's investment committee determine are acceptable from a risk and cost perspective and which meet the dedicated UK adviser's assessment of developmental impact. External consultants will assess the performance of the UK initiative twice a year, with funded projects reporting on energy access, megawatt installed and private finance mobilised in line with the International Climate Finance methodologies. A Business Case addendum covering this has been approved by HMG Nigeria's Delivery board and is published on DevTracker. An economic cost benefit analysis has been done for the £10 million spend and a detailed investment agreement is in place with InfraCredit.

Nigeria: Forced Marriage

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the Government of Nigeria on the prevention of child marriage.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government is committed to empowering and protecting women and girls, including by supporting efforts to end the harmful practice of child marriage. Our programmes and advocacy in Nigeria continue to support efforts to improve the lives of women and girls, in areas including education, social protection, health, addressing gender-based violence, and economic empowerment. UK ODA has supported education in 11 states, reaching over 8 million children since 2009, and supported over 1 million additional girls to access schooling in six states since 2012. I was pleased to be able to discuss UK ODA support to Nigeria during my visit to Nigeria last month, where I held meetings with the Vice President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors.As an example, our basic education programme, Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), has a community engagement component that will support efforts to enable and improve learning for marginalised children (particularly girls). The programme will support interventions which encourage the postponement of marriage and childbearing. It will also work with a range of community stakeholders, such as traditional and community leaders, to address the social norms around early marriage.

South Africa: Police Brutality

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the findings in the report, Sexual IPV and non-partner rape of female sex workers: Findings of a cross-sectional community-centric national study in South Africa, published by SSM - Mental Health in December 2021, what recent support she has offered to the Government of South Africa to address the reported high levels of (a) rape and (b) other physical assault by police officers against female sex workers in that country.

Vicky Ford: The UK shares President Ramaphosa's grave concerns about the level of gender-based violence in South Africa. That is why we provided £1.3 million to South Africa's COVID19 Solidarity Fund to support 321 community-based organisations to respond to gender-based violence during the pandemic. At the end of 2021 the UK announced a contribution of £500,000 to South Africa's private sector-led Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Response Fund (GBVF Fund), which was launched in February 2021 and is also supporting the work of Women's Rights Organisations in this area. The GBVF Fund aims to help deliver the 2020 National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which includes support for vulnerable groups such as sex workers.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Amanda Milling: Throughout the pandemic the FCDO has, and will continue to ensure its Covid-19 related policies and practices align with the relevant HMG and Scottish Government guidance for our staff and buildings in England and Scotland respectively.

Central African Republic: Violence

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Central African Republic Situation Report, published by UN OCHA on 21 February 2022, what steps she is taking to support humanitarian agencies in meeting the needs of people affected by violence in the area of Ippy; and what steps she is taking to prevent the use of explosive ordnance in the Central African Republic.

Vicky Ford: We support the assessment report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) and are concerned by the violence in the Ippy area. I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 15 December 2021 to question 90376 with regard to the situation in CAR. Ending violence and building security is a clear priority in CAR. The UK continues to work closely with international partners to support efforts to bring stability to the country.

Dominican Republic: Haiti

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her Dominican Republic counterpart regarding reports of plans to build a wall between that country and Haiti.

Vicky Ford: No minister or official within the FCDO has discussed the issue of a wall with counterparts in the Dominican Republic. We will continue to encourage all actors to work constructively and cooperatively with the Haitian and Dominican Republic authorities to find solutions to issues of concern to both sides.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of steps that could be taken to enable financial support for the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement in Sudan without supporting the coup authorities.

Vicky Ford: If implemented the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) is an important tool to help Sudan address decades of conflict and marginalisation. This is however, bound to Sudan's wider democratic transition; for example power-sharing arrangements, security reforms and the composition of the transitional government, which was removed following the coup. As such, we continue to encourage all political actors to engage in dialogue and return to the democratic transition.

Developing Countries: Disinformation

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Investigation: European Group Likely Manipulated Twitter Conversations in Kenya About Reproductive Rights, Health, published by the Mozilla Foundation on 22 February 2022, what representations she is making to developed nation partner states on the need to prevent organisations in their countries from engaging in social media manipulation or disinformation campaigns in (a) least developed and (b) developing states; and what assessment she has made of whether UK-based organisations are engaging in similar activities in (i) Kenya or (ii) other least developed or developing states in Africa.

Vicky Ford: As part of our diplomatic engagement, HMG works closely with partners and allies in sub-Saharan Africa to increase awareness of and build resilience to disinformation. In Kenya, the British High Commission is working to understand the nature of the wider threat and its impacts. This includes targeted research led by British and Kenyan academics on social media disinformation and hate speech, as well as support to local organisations to monitor disinformation and build resilience to it. The British High Commissioner has also established dialogue with social media platforms (META, Google and Twitter) and facilitated networking with the Kenyan media and civil society. The research is beginning to identify non-Kenyan organisations that may be active in Kenya. To date we have not identified any UK based organisations engaging in such activities in Kenya.

Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana: Children

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the finding on page 200 of Tony's Chocolonely's annual report for 2021-22, that 1,701 cases of child labour were found among cooperatives in the brand's supply chain, what steps her Department is taking to assist the Governments of (a) Ghana and (b) Côte d'Ivoire in supporting families in those countries to prevent child labour.

Vicky Ford: Whilst the cocoa industry is important for the Ghanaian and Ivorian economies and supports the livelihood of millions of farming households, reports of children engaged in hazardous child labour remain very concerning. The UK welcomes both countries' continued commitments to this. These include Ghana's provision of information on the number of child trafficking cases investigated, prosecuted and convicted, and Côte d'Ivoire's First Lady's efforts to address child labour. The UK is a key supporter of the Cocoa Forest Initiative, a joint partnership with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, as well as 35 cocoa and chocolate companies, which aims to achieve a more sustainable cocoa sector.HMG remains committed to improving traceability in the cocoa sector, so that British consumers can make more informed choices. We are partnering with Mondelez International and Fairtrade through the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility increase the resilience of cocoa farmers and their families to the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to accelerate income diversification. HMG has also pledged support ahead of the Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in May, in order to galvanise action towards Sustainable Development Goal 8.7.

Tanzania: Press Freedom

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to the Government of Tanzania in relation to (a) the impact on freedom of the press of that country's Media Services Act 2016 and (b) ensuring that independent media outlets can operate freely.

Vicky Ford: The UK is a strong advocate of media freedom in Tanzania. We raise our concerns with the Government of Tanzania, both on legislation and where individual journalists are prevented from freely reporting or publishing. The UK is actively providing support to civil society and media in Tanzania through our Accountability in Tanzania 2 programme, including support to organisations directly contributing to the debate on reform of the Media Services Act. The UK welcomes the recent announcement of a review of the Media Services Act 2016 by the Government of Tanzania. We also welcome the recent lifting of bans on a number of newspapers, in line with a judgement by the East African Court of Justice.

Ministry of Defence

NATO Response Force

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the activation of the NATO Response Force, what is the UK contributing to that force.

James Heappey: As a leading member of the NATO Alliance, the UK makes a significant contribution to NATO’s Response Force (NRF). The UK contribution to the NRF as a whole covers multiple domains, and currently includes the UK’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS PRINCE OF WALES, which in 2022 is acting as its 2* Afloat Command Platform.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2022 to Question 98886, how many and what proportion of ARAP applications received by his Department in (a) January and (b) February 2022 (i) have been processed with a final decision given and (ii) await a decision on eligibility.

James Heappey: Please see the relevant figures below:MonthApplications Received (as at 1 March 22)Eligibility Decisions Made (as at 1 March 22)January6,3822,557February3,6891,203

Estonia: Armed Forces

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK Army is capable of deploying an Armoured Brigade in Estonia.

James Heappey: The British Army is capable of deploying an Armoured Brigade in Estonia (if tasked to do so).

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Republican paramilitary, (b) Loyalist paramilitary and (c) civilian deaths were HM Forces responsible for during Operation Banner.

Leo Docherty: The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information in the specific format requested.However, there are a number of authoritative public accounts, and you might be interested in the recent research briefing published by the House of Commons Library, Investigation of former armed forces personnel who served in Northern Ireland.This states that during Operation Banner the British military were responsible for the deaths of 301 individuals.The briefing specifies that 210 of these individuals were Republican terrorists, 10 were loyalist terrorists and the remainder were civilians.The figure for civilians includes the deaths of 10 members of the security forces, including eight members of the Army/Ulster Defence Regiment, and two members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary/RUC Reserve.

Defence Estates: Standards

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason his Department considers that 30 per cent of the Defence Estate is not in an acceptable condition.

Jeremy Quin: That is not a view the Department holds. Our latest estate condition metrics record that 7% of our UK Built assets are in a 'poor' condition or below. The Strategy for Defence Infrastructure, published in January 2022, provides a clear vision to modernise and optimise the estate to enable MOD to best deliver Defence capability requirements and operational outputs arising from Integrated Review 2020.

Puma Helicopters

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason Puma has been allocated as a saving for the Department when its service life has been extended.

Jeremy Quin: The Integrated Review provided the means to modernise Defence within an affordable multi-year programme. Part of this modernisation included the commitment to invest in a new medium support helicopter, requiring the phased reduction in Puma capability and allowing the expertise from within the Puma Force to develop a foundation for the new helicopter. During the drawdown period we are looking into retaining a portion of the Puma fleet to temporarily replace existing platforms currently meeting Rotary Wing tasks in Cyprus and Brunei as these meet the end of their contractual periods.

Radiation Exposure: Compensation

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral contribution of 21 February 2022, Official Report, column 19, what progress officials in his Department have made on revisiting the internal review on the recognition of or compensation for nuclear test veterans and their families; and if he will make a statement on the findings of that review once it has concluded.

Leo Docherty: In relation to recognition, it is not within the Ministry of Defence's gift to award medallic recognition to the nuclear test veterans (NTVs). The Independent Advisory Military Sub-Committee (AMSC) was re-established in 2019 to offer advice to the Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals (the HD Committee) in the Cabinet Office on historic military medals claims, including cases which may not have been previously considered or where new evidence has emerged. The HD Committee is the principal body with responsibility for making recommendations on honours, awards, and medals to Her Majesty The Queen.The recommendation of the re-established AMSC was made in December 2020 in respect of the case of retrospective medallic recognition for all those who participated in the British Nuclear Test Programme during the period 1952 to 1991. The AMSC has an independent Chair, and independent Membership, and it has considered the case carefully, including submissions from relevant interested external parties. The AMSC's recommendation to the HD Committee was not to award a medal, and the HD Committee has accepted this advice. Any decision to revisit this decision would be a matter for the AMSC.In relation to compensation, the Department is considering the findings of the final fourth phase of a longitudinal epidemiological study into health effects among nuclear test participants and any potential impacts on compensation policy. It remains the case that NTVs who believe they have suffered ill health due to service have the right to apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pensions Scheme, in respect of illness or injury as a result of service in the Armed Forces before 6 April 2005.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) serving and (b) former members of HM Forces (i) faced prosecution and (ii) were convicted for offences that took place while serving on Operation Banner.

Leo Docherty: The requested information is not held by the Ministry of Defence. Operation Banner was the operational name for the deployment of British Armed Forces in relation to the Northern Ireland Troubles from 1969 to 2007, predating both the establishment of the Service Prosecuting Authority and the Military Court Service. Prior to their establishment, prosecutions were the responsibility of either the single Services or the civilian justice system, depending on the nature and location of the alleged offence, and surviving records are neither complete nor held centrally.

Annington Homes

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will review the availability of his Department's housing leased from Annington Homes in response to the potential increase in refugees resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.

Leo Docherty: The provision of safe, good quality and well-maintained accommodation for Service personnel is essential to operational output, and providing such accommodation is one of the Ministry of Defence's top priorities. The Government has already announced the first phase of a bespoke humanitarian route for the people of Ukraine, for which the Home Office is the lead Government Department.

Guided Weapons: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the basis is for the £120 million savings declared for Brimstone integration in the Defence and Equipment Plan.

Jeremy Quin: The bulk of the savings relate to the fact that notwithstanding the Department’s significant confidence in Brimstone and its ongoing development, the decision was taken to field the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile onto Apache. This decision expedited a solution for a capability gap faster than could be achieved through the Brimstone 3 option.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the Army's (a) Challenger tanks, (b) Warrior armoured vehicles and (c) AS90 self-propelled howitzers are serviceable as of 1 March 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) main battle tanks, (b) infantry fighting vehicles and (c) artillery are available for immediate deployment as of 1 March 2022.

Jeremy Quin: The Army is always ready to fulfil the task of protecting the nation and holds various people, units and equipment at various levels of readiness. Details of the number of vehicles in the UK Armed Forces are published on an annual basis on the Government’s website. The most recent publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-equipment-and-formations-2021  For reasons of security, we do not break this number down any further.

Queen's Guards: Uniforms

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what technical criterion prevents his Department from replacing real bearskin with synthetic material on the ceremonial Queen's Guard caps.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for York Central (Rachel Maskell) to Question 121828 on 21 February 2022.Queen's Guards: Uniforms (docx, 19.4KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Uprating

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the costs of uprating universal credit in line with the rate of inflation.

David Rutley: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Industrial Accidents: Public Bodies

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides to agencies and professionals outside of the Department of Work and Pensions on the (a) circumstances in which incidents of death and serious harm should be referred to be considered for an internal process review and (b) process for making a referral of that kind.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of the internal process reviews her Department has completed since 2010-11 were identified through (a) her Department's complaints process, (b) referrals from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, (c) referrals from the Independent Case Examiner, (d) coverage in the media, (e) referrals by frontline staff in her Department, (f) contact from coroners and (g) referrals from external agencies or professionals.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Work and Pensions: Industrial Accidents

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is given to her Department’s staff on the (a) circumstances in which incidents of death and serious harm should be referred to be considered for an internal process review and (b) process for making a referral of that kind.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the benefit cap on eviction rates in London.

David Rutley: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Universal Credit

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will provide details of the (a) three trigger point targets in the universal credit system and (b) the proportion of the working day that universal credit service centre employees are expected to spend on each trigger point.

David Rutley: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Universal Credit: Deductions

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants are being deducted the maximum amount of 25 per cent of their standard allowance from their entitlement as a result of (a) an advance or (b) other outstanding Government debts.

David Rutley: New Claim Advances are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants in need to access up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. They ensure nobody in need has to wait for their first payment in Universal Credit. The Government recognises the importance of supporting the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. We seek to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship for claimants and their families. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and customers with deductions for benefit overpayments can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship, to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances. We reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 30% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance enabling them to retain more of the award. These changes were implemented from October 2019 to April 2021. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to better manage financial difficulties For Universal Credit claims with a payment due during November 2021:198,000 (4% of all claims) had a deduction for Government debt that accounted for 25% of their standard allowance124,000 (3% of all claims) had a deduction for the repayment of an Advance that accounted for 25% of their standard allowance. Notes:1) All volumes are rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages rounded to nearest percent.2) Government debt includes: DWP Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Tax Credit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Housing Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Social Fund Loan, Recoverable Hardship Payment, Administrative Penalty, Civil Penalty, Eligible Loan Deductions, Integration Loan.3) Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.4) Data for November 2021 has been provided in line with the latest available UC Household Statistics.

Housing Benefit: Overpayments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the level of overpayment of housing benefit in each year since 2019.

David Rutley: Statistics on Housing Benefit fraud volumes and incorrectly overpaid benefits are published 6 monthly.Housing Benefit: debt recoveries and fraud data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)These figures are based on data from Local Authorities.

Jobcentres: Staff

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training her Department provides to job centre staff on the menopause.

Mims Davies: The Department regularly runs events on the Menopause, with a combination of experts talking about the physical and psychological impacts and also colleagues sharing their own lived experience. These are aimed and marketed for both colleagues who may be experiencing the menopause as well as encouraging line managers and colleagues to also attend so that the department has as wide a knowledge base as possible. The Department also has a thriving Menopause network made of up volunteers who work regularly and collaboratively with colleagues who head up the Wellbeing and Age portfolios as part of the People, Capability and Place directorate. Our 37 district 50PLUS Champions utilise their knowledge and local links to support Work Coaches and employers to understand the characteristics of our customers and the issues that may affect them such as the impact of the menopause, helping them retain women’s skills and expertise.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of not uprating benefits in line with inflation on levels of child poverty in York Central.

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made on the impact of not uprating benefits in line with inflation on levels of child poverty in Glasgow North East.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made on the impact of not uprating benefits in line with inflation on levels of child poverty in Newcastle upon Tyne Central.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of (a) not uprating benefits in line with current inflation and (b) ending the universal credit uplift in 2021 on the level of child poverty in East Renfrewshire.

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of a rise in inflation on levels of child poverty in (a) Bristol North West constituency and (b) the UK.

David Rutley: I refer the Hon. Member to my response to Parliamentary Question 126529 answered 25th February 2022.

Pensioners: Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment he has made of the equity of pension income being treated as equivalent to earned income for Universal Credit purposes whereas pension income inherited by the pensioner’s widow is deducted pound for pound from a Universal Credit award.

David Rutley: No such assessment has been made. The general principle is that income, other than earnings, which is provided to meet everyday living costs, is fully taken into account in the calculation of Universal Credit. This includes income from pensions and widow’s pensions. In common with the means tested legacy benefits it replaces, Universal Credit takes into account money available from other sources which allow a claimant to support themselves, allowing a fair balance to be struck between those in the greatest financial need and hardworking taxpayers.

Department for Work and Pensions: Industrial Accidents

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish a breakdown of the years in which incidents of death or serious harm occurred for the Internal Process Reviews completed by her Department since February 2012.

Chloe Smith: The Department does not hold a breakdown of Internal Process Reviews (IPRs) by the years in which the incident of death or serious harm occurs.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of not uprating benefits in line with inflation on the incomes of households in receipt of universal credit taking into account the reduction in that benefit in 2021.

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made on the cumulative impact on the living standards of households in receipt of universal credit of the decision not to up rate benefits in line with inflation in addition to the cut to universal credit and rise in living costs.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made on the impact of not uprating benefits in line with inflation on the incomes of households in receipt of universal credit following reductions to that benefit in 2021.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the impact on the real incomes of households in receipt of universal credit of (a) not uprating benefits in line with current inflation and (b) ending the universal credit uplift in 2021.

David Rutley: I refer the Hon. Member to my response to Parliamentary Question 127316 answered 25th February 2022.

Social Security Benefits

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2021 to Question 81959 on Social Security Benefits, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the disparity between the number of Internal Process Reviews into (a) deaths and (b) incidents of serious harm other than death between July 2019 and December 2021.

Chloe Smith: The response to question 81959 shows that more Internal Process Reviews (IPRs) have both been started and completed in respect of deaths than reports involving serious harm between July 2019 and December 2021. The Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the differences in numbers in these two categories. IPRs are internal, retrospective investigations, focussed on organisational learning. DWP commissions them in a range of claimant circumstances. Not all IPRs conducted after a death relate to suicide and similarly the ‘serious harm’ that prompts an IPR investigation may relate to self-harm or a suicide attempt – but can also refer to other traumatic events. It is important to distinguish how the Department is informed of these events. The Department records when a claimant dies to update our systems and avoid fraud and error. Suicide attempts and self-harm have no public record. Where these tragic events occur DWP can only act on information disclosed by the claimant or their representative. This means DWP are unlikely to have the opportunity to investigate every case of self-harm or attempted suicide. However, we want to learn from these incidents and the IPR referral criteria were widened to ensure it is inclusive of all circumstances where a customer has attempted to take their own life or suffered serious harm.

Employment and Support Allowance

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total value was of contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance payments made to people resident in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK in each year since 2000.

Chloe Smith: The available information is partially detailed in the table below. £millions 2008/092009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202020/21ESA (contributory & IB)GB1271,2672,2323,5546,78010,43712,82714,27214,83015,35315,09813,85113,382ESA (contributory & IB)Sco141302243817531,2101,4331,5831,6641,7321,7261,6031,556ESA (contributory)GB645819551,3992,3053,5394,1014,4574,6874,7114,5634,5124,567  The table above includes total Contributory and Income Based ESA for GB and Scotland. A breakdown of the value of Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance payments made to people resident in Scotland is not currently available. ESA started as a benefit in 2008/09. This information has been published and can be found via links below: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Department for Work and Pensions: Information Officers

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) full-time equivalent headcount and (b) outturn expenditure was on communications for her Department in each of the last three financial years.

Guy Opperman: The number of staff working in the Department for Work and Pensions to deliver the communications functions in 2019-20 was 152.57, 2020-21 was 137.13 and 2021-22 is currently 115.24. Expenditure on communications staffing was £9,110,290 in 2019-20, £8,249,505 in 2020-21 and so far, expenditure for 2021-22 is £7,454,686.

Social Security Benefits: Reciprocal Arrangements

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which nations requested reciprocal social security agreements; and on what dates those requests were made between 1970 and 2022.

Chloe Smith: Requests for social security agreements may be raised in formal and informal meetings and in correspondence at both ministerial and official level. The Department for Work and Pensions does not, as a matter of routine, maintain full records of such requests

Social Security Benefits: Chronic Illnesses and Disability

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of Macmillan's recommendation for an independent commission to review the level of support the benefits system provides to enable (a) disabled people or (b) people with a long-term health condition to cover their living costs.

Chloe Smith: The Government is providing extensive support to disabled people and those with a health conditions to help them live independent lives. We will spend over £59 billion this year (2021/22) on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. The Government is also providing support worth around £12 billion this financial year and next to help families with the cost of living. We are cutting the Universal Credit taper to make sure work pays, freezing alcohol and fuel duties to keep costs down, and providing targeted support to help households with the cost of essentials. In addition to this, the Energy Bills Rebate will provide around 28 million households with an upfront discount on their bills worth £200. Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper, which was published on 20 July 2021, explored how the benefits system can better meet the needs of disabled people and people with health conditions now and in the future by improving claimant experience of our services, enabling independent living and improving employment outcomes. . We received more than 4,500 responses to our Green Paper proposals and detailed proposals will be brought forward in a White Paper later this year.

Pension Credit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of steps taken to raise awareness of Pension Credit on uptake in 2019-20.

Guy Opperman: It is encouraging to see that in the financial year ending 2020, take-up of Pension Credit improved across all headline measures. 73% of those eligible, claimed Guarantee Credit, the income top-up element of Pension Credit, up from 70% the year before, moreover 77% of the total amount of Pension Credit that could have been claimed was claimed. Take-up of Pension Credit can be affected by a broad range of factors. Our priority is to ensure that pensioners know about the invaluable support which Pension Credit provides. That’s why we are directly targeting over 11 million pensioners with information about Pension Credit in the leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. The leaflet includes prominent messaging which highlights that an award of Pension Credit not only tops up their State Pension but can provide access to help with housing and heating costs, NHS costs and for those over 75, a free TV licence.

Bereavement Support Payment

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total value was of Bereavement Support Payments made to people resident in (a) Scotland and (b) rest of the UK in each year since 2000.

Guy Opperman: This information has been published and can be found here: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) A breakdown of the value of Bereavement Support payments made to people resident in Scotland is not available.

Maternity Allowance

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total value was of maternity allowance payments for people resident in (a) Scotland and (b) rest of the UK in each year since 2010.

Guy Opperman: This information has been published and can be found here: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Bereavement Benefits

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Bereavement Benefits: Proposal for implementation of the McLaughlin (2018) and Jackson (2020) judgments published on 15 July 2021, when she plans to lay before Parliament that draft remedial order.

Guy Opperman: The draft Bereavement Benefits (2021) Remedial Order, to extend Widowed Parents Allowance and the higher rate of Bereavement Support Payment to surviving cohabitees with dependent children, was laid before Parliament on 15 July 2021. This laying period concluded on 12 November 2021 and the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) also published its report on the proposals on this date. We are now considering whether to make changes to the draft Order in light of the JCHR recommendations and other representations received during this time. Due to the complexity of the points raised and the need to give these careful consideration, we cannot say at this stage when the draft Order will be laid for its second 60-day sitting period. We are progressing this work as a priority and will continue to update the GOV.UK website at key points during the process: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments.

Department for Work and Pensions: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Guy Opperman: On 21 February 2022, the Government published their COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19. This document sets out how and when the remaining restrictions will be lifted in England. Government guidance was subsequently amended, including the Working Safely guidance.We continue to follow specific devolved administration guidance for Wales and Scotland.

Pensioners: British Nationals Abroad

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of a UK pension currently live in the states of (a) Alaska, (b) Michigan, (c) Maine, (d) Minnesota, (e) Montana, (f) New York (g) Washington, (h) North Dakota, (i) Ohio, (j) Vermont, (k) New Hampshire, (l) Idaho and (m) Pennsylvania.

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of a UK pension live in (a) British Columbia, (b) Yukon, (c) Ontario, (d) New Brunswick, (e) Nova Scotia, (f) Quebec, (g) Alberta, (h) Saskatchewan, (i) Quebec and (j) Manitoba.

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of a UK pension currently live in the Falkland Islands.

Guy Opperman: State Pension statistics by country of residence are currently available to November 2020 and these are available on Stat-Xplore here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Lower level geographies for Canada and the United States of America are not readily available and to provide them would incur disproportionate cost.

Pensions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there are legal barriers to pension schemes providing a range of contribution and benefit options to beneficiaries in order to maintain uptake of the pension scheme.

Guy Opperman: Employers are responsible for choosing a pension scheme that is suitable for them and their employees. There are minimum standards for automatic enrolment and requirements for equal treatment – but there is scope for a huge variety of scheme design in the pensions market, in terms of structuring contributions and benefits offered.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Property: Bolton South East

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the residents of Riverside Drive in Stoneclough in Bolton South East constituency have had their priority status downgraded by the Environment Agency.

Rebecca Pow: No, despite challenges that have arisen in the delivery of the project, this scheme retains its High Priority rating.

Environmental Land Management Schemes: Finance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the funding for the Environmental Land Management Scheme will be split equally between the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery schemes.

Victoria Prentis: We broadly envisaged an equal split of funding for activities across farm level, locally tailored and landscape scale. This is only indicative. Unlike the EU schemes, these are not hard pillars and we have the ability to respond to demand from farmers.

Carbon Emissions: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2022 to Question 119564 on Carbon Emissions: Research; if he will publish details of the open competition referred to; whether the research programmes will be regionally targeted; and how much and what proportion of the £75 million for Net Zero-related R&D will be spent on (a) offshore wind and (b) advanced manufacturing.

Jo Churchill: This budget is for the future financial years and contracts for that expenditure have not been placed at this time. We will follow Defra procurement policy and best practice in determining the optimum route to delivering the requirement, which could include the approach to potential suppliers. Open opportunities, where applicable, and resulting contracts will be published on Contracts Finder.Currently £51.9 million of the overall budget has been allocated internally to specific programmes in advance of procurement. The remainder is reserved for emerging priorities, and collaborations with other Government departments and research bodies, which will be allocated over the course of the Spending Review period. From this initial allocation £3.5 million is allocated to enabling offshore wind and marine spatial prioritisation. No budget is currently allocated to advanced manufacturing.

Horticulture: Staff

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in (a) Department for Education and (b) horticultural sector on working together to secure a high-quality domestic labour supply for that sector.

Victoria Prentis: Attracting bright new talent into agricultural and horticultural careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming. By raising awareness of agriculture as an exciting and attractive career path, people will understand the opportunities available to them.The Government is contributing towards the establishment of a new professional body, The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH). This initiative is aimed at removing the fragmentation that exists within current learning and skills landscape for farming businesses, enabling the industry to drive forward greater uptake of skills, creating clear career development pathways and promoting the sector as a progressive, professional and attractive career choice.The Government is reforming post-16 technical education to provide clearer routes into skilled employment in agriculture and other sectors. A key part of this is the introduction of the new Technical Level programmes (T-levels). Alongside apprenticeships, these provide more opportunities and pathways for young people looking for careers in horticulture.Defra continues to speak regularly with the sector and other Government departments, including the Department for Education, to understand labour supply and demand, including both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements, and to ensure there is a long-term strategy for the horticultural workforce.

Pâté de Foie Gras: Imports

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on banning the import of foie gras; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Now we have left the EU we are able to consider any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices, such as restrictions on import and sale. We are gathering information and will continue to speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved. This is in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Victoria Prentis: Throughout the pandemic, all Civil Service employers have followed Government guidance in setting out their internal COVID-19 related policies. This includes complying with the Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance which sets out the key actions organisations should take to protect employees and customers in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in workplaces, along with carrying out health and safety risk assessments that include the ongoing risk from COVID-19. On 21 February 2022, the Government published its COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19. This document sets out how and when the remaining restrictions will be lifted in England. Government guidance was subsequently amended, including the Working Safely guidance. The Government’s Working Safely guidance, which was launched on 24 February 2022, continues to require organisations to carry out a risk assessment which includes the risk from COVID-19. It also sets out additional actions organisations can take to protect employees and customers in the workplace, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, frequent cleaning, asking people to wash their hands frequently and asking people with COVID-19 to stay away. The guidance advises that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, when rates of transmission are high. Civil Service employers will continue to follow this guidance and align their policies accordingly.

Zoonoses: Disease Control

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK is effectively prepared to tackle zoonotic diseases.

Jo Churchill: Zoonotic infections threaten both human and animal health. For zoonotic diseases, we have systems in place to detect and manage outbreaks, for both endemic (those that are already found in the UK) and exotic infections, collaborating closely with the public health agencies. For Salmonella for example, we have well established National Control Programmes in the poultry sector to protect public health. These mandate regular testing for Salmonella followed by appropriate measures to help control the risk where flocks are found to be positive. The Animal and Plant Health Agency's scanning surveillance programme is set up to detect a wide range of animal-related disease threats through diagnostic service and the networks of expertise in its Species Expert Groups. We also carry out horizon scanning for infections not yet in the UK. This helps us prepare for possible future incursions, through the Animal and Plant Health Agency's International Disease Monitoring programme and through collaborative work with UK public health bodies in the Human and Animal Infection and Risk Surveillance group. This group assesses new and emerging infections and advises on suitable mitigations and controls that may be necessary to protect public health. Defra has an England Disease Contingency Plan for exotic notifiable diseases and our disease control plans are exercised regularly. The contingency plan outlines how we would work with other Government agencies and departments to control zoonotic diseases as well as those which only affect livestock. This is being put to use at the moment, through our response to avian influenza outbreaks. We have also allocated £200 million to the Animal and Plant Health Agency science campus at Weybridge, as part of previously announced funding in these facilities. This substantial investment recognises the essential role of this government capability, as the first stage of a long term programme of work to safeguard and enhance facilities. This will enable its world-leading scientists to continue at the forefront of research and policy to protect people, the environment and the economy, by boosting our resilience and strengthening our understanding of health risks to, and from, animals and plants.

Animal and Plant Health Agency: Customs

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2022 to Question 121866, on Animal and Plant Health Agency: Customs, at how many commercial ports construction work is underway to build the necessary infrastructure and facilities to enable the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks to be carried out from 1 July 2022.

Victoria Prentis: 21 ports are building the necessary infrastructure and facilities to enable the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks to be carried out from 1 July 2022. For plants and plant products, a total of 47 applications are being/have recently been processed for new inspection facilities. This includes 22 new or extended Border Control Posts (BCPs). The remainder are either ‘inspection centres’ (7) or ‘control points’ (18). Sea ports: Sevington, Bristol, Dover, Immingham, Heysham, Hull, Killingholme, Liverpool, Purfleet, Thamesport, London Gateway, Tilbury 2, Newhaven, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Southampton, Harwich, Felixstowe, Tees and Tyne. Inclusion on this list does not mean that ports will be designated as BCPs.

Pigs: Agriculture

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish an action plan to prevent divestment out of pig farming by farmers in England.

Victoria Prentis: We continue to monitor the evolving situation and to work closely with the pig industry to help them respond to challenges caused by the pandemic, including the loss of exports to the Chinese market for certain pig processors, disruption to CO2 supplies, and a temporary shortage of labour in the processing sector.We have provided a package of measures to help address these unique circumstances, which includes temporary work visas for up to 800 pork butchers, and Private Storage Aid and Slaughter Incentive Payment schemes to facilitate an increase in the throughput of pigs through abattoirs. Together with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and other Government Departments, we are working to both expand existing markets and to identify new export markets for pork, particularly lightly processed pork. We are also working with industry to support their efforts on the recruitment and retention of domestic workers.On 10 February, I chaired a roundtable with pig industry representatives and retailers from across the UK to discuss the challenges that the sector has been facing in recent months. At the roundtable I announced that we will be launching a UK-wide review of supply chain fairness in the pig sector. We will be engaging with industry on this with a consultation expected later this year. We want to elicit industry views on improvements to fairness and transparency that could be made to ensure a profitable and productive future. Following the Roundtable I met with representatives of the agricultural banking sector. The banks confirmed that they are already being as flexible as possible to support pig farmers during this exceptionally challenging period and remain keen to be supportive.

Home Office

Asylum: Ukraine

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's guidance titled Support for family members of British nationals in Ukraine and Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine and the UK, what estimate she has made of the number of people living in Ukraine with family members who have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, as at 2 March 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Ukraine

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support people seeking safe refuge in the UK from countries surrounding Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: EEA Nationals and EU Nationals

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of removing the requirement for family members to make an in-person application for EU Settlement Scheme family permits for EU/EEA nationals at UK visa centres in the context of people being unable to safely access those centres in Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Ukraine

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees her Department estimates will arrive from Ukraine; and whether her Department plans to limit the number of refugees that it will admit from Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: Ukraine

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people living in Ukraine that have family members, as defined by her Department's guidance, Support for family members of British nationals in Ukraine, and Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine and the UK, who are British nationals.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: Ukraine

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of eligible family members, as defined by her Department's guidance, Support for family members of British nationals in Ukraine, and Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine and the UK, in Ukraine rather than already in the UK.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Visas: Ukraine

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people in Ukraine that are eligible for the family migration visa with salary and English language thresholds applied; and what estimate she has made of the number of people who are eligible for that visa following the lifting of the salary and language thresholds.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: Ukraine

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people with leave to remain in the UK with family members, as defined by the Home Office’s guidance, Support for family members of British nationals in Ukraine, and Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine and the UK, who live in Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: Applications

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2022 to Question 117921, on Immigration: Applications, whether she plans to publish information on applications for further leave within her Department's wider Home Office transparency data.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Visas: Ukraine

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to facilitate urgent visas for Ukrainian (a) spouses and (b) other immediate family members of British nationals to enable them to travel to the UK following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Visas: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the detailed calculations conducted by her Department underpinning the estimates that (a) 100,000 and (b) 200,000 Ukrainian nationals would be eligible to seek family visas in the UK under the respective criteria set out in her statements on 28 February and 1 March 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Ukraine

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data the Government used to determine that 200,000 Ukrainian people would be eligible to seek asylum or residence to the UK.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Biometrics

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the minimum time it takes to complete a biometric test.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold a refugee summit to help ensure that all relevant (a) agencies, (b) Government departments and (c) local authorities work together effectively to identify all the accommodation that could be made available for refugees.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Ukraine

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral statement of 1 March 2022 on Humanitarian support for Ukrainians, whether the humanitarian sponsorship pathway route will be open to the immediate families of Ukrainian students studying in the UK.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Chevening Scholarships Programme

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Afghan Chevening Scholars are able to contact her Department directly regarding their immigration status.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Chevening Scholarships Programme

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide clarity to the 2021-22 intake of Afghan Chevening Scholars on their immigration status.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Chevening Scholarships Programme

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide information to the Afghan Chevening Scholars on their immigration status.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy principal applicants were considered eligible by the Ministry of Defence but  subsequently refused by her Department on national security grounds in each month since April 2021.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sexual Offences

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that all police forces in England contain a dedicated rape and serious sexual offences unit; and what estimate he has made of how quickly those units could be established in all forces.

Rachel Maclean: We recognise that having police officers with the right skills is critical in ensuring rape and sexual offences cases are managed appropriately and effectively. We are supporting the police to ensure this is the case through:funding Operation Soteria, which includes reviewing the learning and development offer to officers and sharing learning nationally;supporting the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme, run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which drives improvement in the policing response to all safeguarding crimes (including adult sexual offences); andthe three-year Spending Review settlement secures an additional £540m for the Police Uplift Programme by 2024/25. This will enable forces to recruit and maintain the full 20,000 officer uplift, delivering on this Government’s commitment to recruit additional officers and keep the public safe.The deployment of officers and structure of forces is ultimately an operational matter for Chief Constables as there will be different considerations in different force areas.

Migrant Workers: Abuse and Exploitation

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of in-work exploitation or abuse of migrants with no recourse to public funds.

Rachel Maclean: The hidden nature of modern slavery makes producing an accurate measure of its scale difficult. In March 2020 the Office for National Statistics noted that there is no definitive source of data or suitable method available to accurately quantify the number of potential victims of modern slavery in the UK. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/modernslaveryintheuk/march2020Nevertheless, the Government is committed to improving its understanding of the nature and scale of this complex crime. In July 2019, the Government announced a £10 million investment to create a new Policy and Evidence Centre for Modern Slavery and Human Rights to transform our understanding of modern slavery. The Home Office will continue working with the Centre and other partners to strengthen the evidence base underpinning our policy and operational response to modern slavery.

Fraud

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many referrals were made by (a) police forces to the Crown Prosecution Service and (b) Action Fraud to police forces in each quarter since Action Fraud was established by police force area.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individual reports of suspected fraud were made to Action Fraud in each quarter since Action Fraud was established; and how many of those reports led to prosecutions, by police force area.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office does not hold data on referrals made by police forces to the CPS, however the Home Office publish yearly data on fraud offence outcomes including charges/summons.The table below shows the total number of charges/summons for fraud offences in the Year Ending March from 2014 to 2021. Note the inclusion of Computer Misuse Act Offences as these are not separated in the data in all time periods. Data begins in 2014 due to changes in recording.201420152016201720182019202020218,1488,5807,7516,4026,5726,1235,5414,924The Home Office does not hold data for the number of referrals each police force receives in any time periods. The closest data is published disseminations figures, which are cases consisting of grouped reports passed to police forces from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. This data is not published quarterly, and instead annually Year Ending March.The table below shows the number of disseminations sent from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to police forces, Year Ending March.201220132014201520162017201820192020202129,78625,36839,00061,68267,47664,50149,86138,51929,63528,796Note this includes disseminations for Computer Misuse Act Offences as these are not separated in the data in all time periods. A dissemination can include many reports within one case.The source for both Home Office outcomes and disseminations can be found here: Crime outcomes in England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Home Office does not hold data for how many of these reports lead to prosecutions, either by police force area or in total. The Crime Survey for England and Wales releases quarterly publications with 12 months of data and not a breakdown of reports by quarter.The table below shows the number of reports made to Action Fraud Year Ending September from 2014 to 2021.20142015201620172018201920202021195,968219,536217,782250,821271,486310,616325,989413,417Note this data will include some reports of fraud against businesses and the data begins Year Ending September 2014.The source for Action Fraud reports can be found here: Crime in England and Wales: Appendix tables - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).The Home Office does not have figures for the proportion of Action Fraud reports which lead to a prosecution in total or by police area and have been unable to answer that part of the question.

Economic Crime

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish all (a) written, (b) verbal, (c) electronic and (d) physical representations her Department has received on economic (i) crime, (ii) transparency and (iii) enforcement in the last 12 months.

Damian Hinds: The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Animals in Science Regulation Unit

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many inspectors were in post in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit as at 25 February 2022; and how that figure compares to the inspectors in post in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Kit Malthouse: The number of inspectors in post within the Animals in Science Regulation Unit is as follows. On 25 February 2022 the number of Inspectors in post was 19 individuals. At the end of 2019, 2020 and 2021, the number of Inspectors in post was 24, 25 and 20 individuals, respectively.

Home Office: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Kit Malthouse: Throughout the pandemic, all Civil Service employers have followed government guidance in setting out their internal COVID-19 related policies. This includes complying with the Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance which sets out the key actions organisations should take to protect employees and customers in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in workplaces, along with carrying out health and safety risk assessments that include the ongoing risk from COVID-19.On 21 February 2022, the Government published their COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19. This document sets out how and when the remaining restrictions will be lifted in England. Government guidance was subsequently amended, including the Working Safely guidance.The Government’s Working Safely guidance continues to require organisations to carry out a risk assessment which includes the risk from COVID-19. It also sets out additional actions organisations can take to protect employees and customers in the workplace, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, frequent cleaning, asking people to wash their hands frequently and asking people with COVID-19 to stay away. The guidance advises that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, when rates of transmission are high. Civil Service employers will continue to follow this guidance and align their policies accordingly.We continue to also follow guidance issued by the Devolved Administrations and other countries in which we operate.

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what role animal welfare and ethical review bodies are expected to play in the formal evaluation of project licences under the Animals in Science Regulation Unit's Change Programme; and what steps she is taking to help ensure that those bodies are (a) suitably independent and (b) adequately resourced for that role.

Kit Malthouse: The Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB) is an essential part of establishment governance to ensure compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). All applications for a new project licence must be evaluated by the local AWERB, as described in the Operational Guidance of ASPA published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-animals-scientific-procedures-act-1986. Specifically, the AWERB is constituted to advise on how effectively the applicant is applying the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).Standard Condition 6 of an Establishment Licence requires the Establishment Licence Holder to constitute an AWERB with specified membership requirements. The effectiveness of an AWERB is evaluated by the Regulator as part of the audit process, the framework for which is published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice.

Animal Experiments: Audit

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are planned to receive full audits carried out in person by Inspectors from the Animals in Science Regulation Unit during 2022.

Kit Malthouse: For the first quarter of 2022, five full systems audits will have been completed.Further audits will be undertaken in 2022 and will be undertaken announced or unannounced, on-site or remotely, depending on their purpose. The schedule for future quarters has not been finalised.

Animal Experiments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many establishments are currently licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to either breed, supply or use animals for scientific procedures.

Kit Malthouse: There are currently 137 establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to either breed, supply or use animals for scientific purposes.

Fires: Safety Measures

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the Government has made on publishing its response to the consultation on Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is in the final stages of producing its response to the consultation on Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and aims to publish the document as soon as possible.

Deportation: Zimbabwe

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of suspending the deportation flight to Zimbabwe scheduled for 2 March 2022 in the context of violence against political opposition supporters in that country in recent days.

Tom Pursglove: We make no apology for seeking to remove those with no right to remain in the UK and foreign criminals. That is why we regularly operate charter flights to different countries - to remove foreign criminals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes here, and those who have no right to be in a country, but refuse to leave voluntarily.Individuals are only returned to their country of origin where claims have been unsuccessful, and the Home Office and, where applicable, the Courts deem it is safe to do so, with a safe route of return. By definition, those persons do not need protection and are not at risk on return. We are monitoring the situation there, working with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Our general assessment of risk for political opponents to the government remains set out in our published country policy and information note of September 2021.

Members: Correspondence

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the enquiry of 17 November 2021 from the hon. Member for Warley regarding Mr Kibuuki.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 27 January 2022

Passports: Leaflets

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to leaflet distributed with newly issued passports by HM Passport Office, if she will correct an errant apostrophe in that leaflet on the passage relating to writing your passport number and its date of issue on the front of the leaflet.

Kevin Foster: This error has been corrected in the latest version of the leaflet which accompanies newly issued passports. While the corrected version of the leaflet was introduced in November 2021, the previous version will continue to be in circulation for a short period until the remaining stock is exhausted.

Asylum: Housing

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been provided to each local authority to rehouse asylum seekers in each month since April 2019.

Kevin Foster: Local Authorities do not currently receive central government funding for participating in the asylum dispersal process to accommodate asylum seekers, so no local authorities will have received any funding for this purpose since April 2019.The Home Office is though working on an agreed change plan in partnership with Local Authority Chief Executives through the Home Office Local Government Chief Executive Group. We have established working groups with Local Authorities to determine best practice, one of which relates to defining potential additional funding requirements.

Visas: Applications

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people who use the priority service route for visa or settlement applications receive a decision within five working days.

Kevin Foster: Our aim is to process all applications under the five working day priority service within our service level agreement (SLA). Yet each individual case is considered on its own facts, which means some cases will inevitably take longer than others to conclude. Cases may take longer dependent on the circumstances of the case, for example, if the applicant is facing an impending prosecution or has a criminal record. If an application is deemed complex and expected to take longer than the published SLA, UKVI will write to the customer within the SLA and explain what will happen next.Data on our performance against the five working day priority service can be found in VC_02 of the published Transparency data: Visas and Citizenship data: Q3 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Housing

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which areas have been allocated responsibility for finding accommodation for asylum seekers dispersed from Napier Barracks.

Kevin Foster: The procurement of housing for supported asylum seekers who are destitute is carried out by private providers, through the private housing market, under the Asylum and Accommodation and Support Contracts.Asylum seekers from Napier or any other contingency accommodation site are therefore not allocated to Local Authorities to source housing.

Seasonal Workers: Ukraine

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seasonal agricultural work permits were approved for workers from Ukraine in the last 3 years.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office publishes data on Seasonal Worker visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of grants to Ukrainian nationals are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the entry clearance detailed datasets. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.The latest data includes up to the end of 2021.Please note the published data relates to Ukrainian nationals, regardless of their residency. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Care Workers: Visas

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to extend the Health and Care Worker visa scheme for (a) social care workers, (b) care assistants and (c) home care workers beyond 15 February 2023.

Kevin Foster: Following a recommendation by the independent Migration Advisory Committee in their recent annual report, the Government has made care worker, care assistant and home care worker roles (Standard Occupation Classification code 6145) eligible for the Health and Social Care Visa and added them to the Shortage Occupation List.This rule change came into effect on 15 February 2022 and will be in place initially for a 12-month period. Successful visa applicants will have all the same rights, benefits and obligations as other Health and Care visa holders including being able to extend their visa and apply for permanent settlement.The Government looks forward to receiving the final MAC report into adult social care at the end of April and will review the future of this policy following that report and closer to the end of the 12-month period.

Sergei Brilyov

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to strip Russian TV presenter, Sergei Brilyov, of his British citizenship, ban him from the UK and freeze his UK assets.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.

Asylum

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people since 2019 whose application for asylum was rejected have been uncontactable by her Department but are believed to still be in the UK.

Kevin Foster: Information regarding the number of failed asylum seekers still living in the UK can be found on tables ASY03 and RCM02 of the most recently published immigration and protection transparency data:Immigration and protection data: Q4 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)When individuals fail to remain in contact with the Home Office, we have dedicated resources to bring them into contact. We will work with the police, other government agencies and commercial companies to track these people down.We are currently refreshing our approach to contact management.

British Nationality: Children

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken race and disability equality assessments of the fee for children to register as British citizens in the context of the Supreme Court judgment dated 2 February 2022 in R (on the application of The Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens) v Secretary of State for the Home Department.

Kevin Foster: Following the Court of Appeal’s ruling in February last year, the Home Office committed to reviewing the child registration fee in line with its duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. A Supreme Court hearing on a separate ground in this case took place on 23rd and 24th June 2021, with the judgement handed down on 2 February 2022. It has been important to give the Supreme Court the opportunity to give its view on the questions raised by this case before finalising the Section 55 assessment. We are now able to do so and will conclude the assessment, and associated review of the fee, shortly. We will share the results in due course.

British Nationality: Children

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 119726, on British Nationality: Children, when her Department began that assessment of children’s best interests in respect of the child registration fee; and when she plans to complete that assessment.

Kevin Foster: Following the Court of Appeal’s ruling in February last year, the Home Office committed to reviewing the child registration fee in line with its duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. The Home Office is undertaking a comprehensive review of the fee, which will be finalised shortly, following the Supreme Court judgement of 2 February 2022. The results will be shared in due course.

British Nationality: Children

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 119726, on British Nationality: Children, if she will confirm that the findings of fact made by the courts in R (on the application of The Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] UKSC 3 will be acted upon in assessing children’s best interests in respect of the child registration fee.

Kevin Foster: Following the Court of Appeal’s ruling in February last year, the Home Office committed to reviewing the child registration fee in line with its duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. The Home Office is undertaking a comprehensive review of the fee, which will be finalised shortly, following the Supreme Court judgement of 2 February 2022. The results will be shared in due course.

Immigration: Applications

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2022 to Question 126868 on Immigration: Applications, if she will publish data held by her Department on the number of outstanding applications for (a) leave to remain and (b) indefinite leave to remain as at 24 February 2022.

Kevin Foster: The most recent published data for outstanding leave to remain and indefinite leave to remain applications can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-dataUnder Visas and Citizenship Data, Tab VC_02 includes the number of straightforward applications and non-straightforward applications that remained outstanding at the end of the last reported period.This data was published on 24 February 2022.

Asylum and Undocumented Migrants

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there were earned regularisation processing of distinct groups of undocumented people in each of the last five years; and what assessment her Department has made of the trends in the numbers of asylum applications in following years.

Kevin Foster: The Immigration Rules provide routes for someone who does not have leave in the United Kingdom to apply for leave to remain and regularise their stay.Under the Family and Human Rights route a person and their dependents if appropriate can apply to remain on the basis their Article 8 Human Rights would be breached if they were required to leave the UK.The statistics for people applying to stay in the UK permanently can be found at Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release, please note that these statistics are taken from a live database and are subject to change.The statistics for the numbers claiming asylum can be found at asylum detailed datasets

Immigration Controls: Agriculture and Shipping

Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Points Based Immigration System on the (a) workboat sector and (b) agricultural sector.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office carefully considered the possible impacts of the new immigration system, making best use of existing evidence and data – this included a review undertaken by the Migration Advisory Committee in the design of the Points Based System. Prior to the launch of the Skilled Worker route we published a detailed Impact Assessment which set out a range of impacts. The Government continues to monitor the immigration system and the wider UK economy impacts on migration flows and the labour market, and whether this is in line with our detailed planning assumptions. As part of this, the Government regularly engages the MAC for their expert and independent view. The Points Based System, including the Skilled Worker route, provides for many occupations in the maritime and agricultural sector (which has its own sector specific scheme for horticultural roles), if the requirements of the system are met.

Visas: Families

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time is for family visas.

Kevin Foster: Average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data and are not published.Information on our immigration routes with service standards and whether they have been processed against these standards is available as part of our transparency data, at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Members: Correspondence

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to emails from the hon. Member for North Durham of 11 February 2022, 26 and 14 January 2022, 6 December 2021 and 19 November 2021, regarding Mr Okoye.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office responded to the Hon. Member’s correspondence on 2 March 2022.

Visas: Afghanistan

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what evidential flexibility applies when caseworkers at UK Visas and Immigration are considering applications submitted from Afghans using the Appendix FM route because of misplaced or destroyed documentation.

Kevin Foster: Evidential flexibility is a principle which allows the decision maker to decide a case without requiring all the usual evidence or information set out on the application form and guidance. If there is a compelling reason why the evidence cannot be provided, then evidential flexibility will be applied for Afghans applying under Appendix FM routes.Each case will be considered on its own individual merits in line with the current guidance. If further evidence is required, further enquiries may be made but it remains the responsibility of the applicant to sufficiently evidence their circumstances, or to provide a credible explanation as to why such evidence is not available, such as the current situation in Afghanistan.We continue to monitor the situation closely and may make further adjustments to requirements where necessary and appropriate to ensure people are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Asylum: Ukraine

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has taken steps to prepare for a potential increase in applications for asylum from Ukrainian nationals.

Kevin Foster: The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. We are already doubling the number of decision makers in asylum and working to streamline our processes. These will be of benefit if increased numbers of Ukrainians claim asylum within the UK.The Home Office has also agreed a range of temporary concessions to support Ukrainian nationals currently in the UK who are now unable to return when their existing visa expires. These concessions will assist Ukrainian nationals in extending their stay in the UK without having to leave and re-apply from overseas or enter the asylum system.Individuals in the UK who are unable to return to Ukraine may be eligible to switch visa routes, even if the visa type typically does not allow this.Further information can be found on GOV.UK page: Support for family members of British nationals in Ukraine, and Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine and the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Mental Health Services

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2022 to Question 117802 on Asylum: Mental Illness, what the (a) role and (b) membership of the National Asylum Seeker Health Steering Group is; and what steps she is taking to help ensure that the mental health needs of asylum seekers are met.

Kevin Foster: On 25 June the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care established an officials-led National Asylum Seeker Steering Group (NASHSG). The group brings together experts from across the health and immigration sectors, including NGOs and devolved administrations, to consider the specific health and wellbeing needs, barriers and solutions for people seeking asylum status in the UK, with the aim of implementing the recommendations of the Safeguarding Adults National Network, ‘The Health, Wellbeing and Safeguarding Needs of Individuals Seeking Asylum’ report. In addition, to address asylum seeker mental health needs, in September 2021 we allocated just over £1 million in grant funding to four projects running from the beginning of October 2021 until the end of March 2022. This was open to bids from local authorities, civil society organisations and strategic migration partnerships and the following four bidders were successful:- Groundwork London- Solace- Barnardo’s- Refugee Council This work covers virtual and in-person support, direct trauma counselling, trauma informed and culturally responsive training for both front line staff and those delivering mental health services. Additionally, we have ensured a champion’s model that organisations can deploy to enhance access to appropriate therapeutic services for asylum seekers.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Town Twinning: Russia

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will issue guidance to local authorities on ending twinning links with Russian cities.

Kemi Badenoch: Russia’s assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign democratic state. The UK and our international partners stand united in condemning the Russian government’s reprehensible actions, which are an egregious violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the European Convention on Human Rights. It is right in this context for local authorities to revisit twinning arrangements with towns, cities and local authorities in Russia. The Government is also reviewing its bilateral engagement with the Russian authorities and we will be issuing guidance on issues relating to Russia and Ukraine as necessary. The Prime Minister has been clear however that Russia is a great country with a rich history and proud people, and that the UK does not believe Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is in the name of the Russian people.

Devolution

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with elected members in the devolved Administrations on the effectiveness of inter-governmental relations.

Michael Gove: I meet First Ministers of the devolved administrations on a near fortnightly basis to discuss intergovernmental relations and shared issues such as Covid-19 response, supply chains, workforce pressures, and recently the UK's response to the situation in Ukraine.I will shortly be chairing the first meeting of the Interministerial Standing Committee to welcome the new intergovernmental arrangements and discuss how the UK government and the devolved governments can continue to work together.

Housing: Students

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to help ensure that developers prioritise student needs when building student accommodation.

Stuart Andrew: The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that it is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including students, and to reflect this in their local planning policiesOur planning practice guidance goes further to state that local authorities need to plan for sufficient student accommodation whether it consists of communal halls of residence or self-contained dwellings, and whether or not it is on campus.Local authorities should also engage with universities and other higher educational establishments to ensure they understand the student accommodation requirements in their local area.

Housing: Construction

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to take steps to limit the development of luxury housing in order to fulfill local housing needs.

Stuart Andrew: Whilst the Government's standard method is used to identify the total number of homes needed in a local area, the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that it is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community and to reflect this in their local planning policies. The different groups include, but is not limited to, those who require affordable housing, families with children, older people, students, people with disabilities, service families, travellers, people who rent their homes and people wishing to commission or build their own homes.As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, the changes we are making to the planning system will result in more communities having local plans in place, which clearly set out what is required to meet community housing needs.

Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish a new housing bill in the next Parliamentary session to address the (a) availability and (b) cost of housing for both renters and buyers.

Stuart Andrew: As the Levelling Up White Paper set out, we have committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone. We have committed to deliver 1 million new homes by the end of this Parliament and continue working towards its ambition of delivering 300,000 new homes per year to create a more sustainable and affordable housing market.We have announced £10 billion investment in housing supply since the start of this Parliament, with our housing supply interventions due to ultimately unlock over 1 million new homes. This includes an additional £1.8 billion investment announced at Spending Review 2021, consisting of £300 million locally led grant funding that will be distributed to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and local authorities to help deliver their housing priorities and £1.5 billion to regenerate underused land and deliver transport links and community facilities.  We have also launched the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund, which will provide loans to small and medium sized builders and developers to deliver 42,000 homes.We are also investing £11.5 billion in the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme which will build up to 180,000 affordable homes, should economic conditions allow.This Government is committed to helping to make the dream of homeownership a reality. Since 2010, over 758,000 households have been helped to purchase a home through Government-backed schemes including Help to Buy and Right to Buy. Our new First Homes scheme will provide homes at a discount of at least 30% for local first-time buyers helping bring homeownership back into reach.We will publish a landmark White Paper this spring that will set out proposals to create a fairer and better quality private rented sector. We will consult on introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) for the first time ever, explore a National Landlord Register, and bring forward measures to increase security for renters in the PRS, including through ending section 21 'no fault evictions'. We will bring forward legislation to implement these reforms set out in the white paper, when parliamentary time allows.

Social Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he will take to increase the (a) quantity and (b) quality of social housing.

Stuart Andrew: Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow. This will build upon the success of our £9 billion Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme, running to 2023, which will deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes.Through the Levelling Up White Paper, the Government has committed that by 2030 renters will have a secure path to home ownership, with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas. The White Paper also announced the commitment to halve the number of non-decent rented homes in all tenures by 2030 with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.We are also driving forward reform of social housing quality through our Social Housing White Paper commitments, including a review of the Decent Homes Standard to ensure it is up-to-date and fit to deliver on the government's ambition to reduce levels of non-decency. Following the announcement of the housing quality mission in the Levelling Up White Paper, we will also look to ensure that this standard for the first time also applies to the Private Rented Sector. In addition, we are reviewing the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, the tool used to assess for hazards in all residential property.

Certification Quality Marks

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the new UKCA accreditation process, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling a UK approved body to validate type testing reports issued by EU notified bodies for products already placed on the UK market under AVCP system 3.

Stuart Andrew: A new regulatory goods regime now applies in Great Britain. This gives us an opportunity to make our regulations work in the best interests of consumers and businesses. Government is carefully considering the issue of whether to allow test reports issued by EU notified bodies under AVCP System 3 to be used in support of the UKCA mark. This would require amendments to our construction product regulations.

Glass: Certification Quality Marks

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to establish a UK approved body to facilitate type testing for glass products to help manufacturers meet the deadline for transition to the UKCA marking.

Stuart Andrew: A new regulatory goods regime now applies in Great Britain. This gives us an opportunity to make our regulations work in the best interests of consumers and businesses. Government is aware that manufacturers of certain glass products are currently unable to get their products tested, and are carefully considering how to make sure all firms are able to comply with the requirements of UKCA marking. The UK Government is not currently in the process of establishing a UK approved body to facilitate type testing for glass products.

Second Homes: Holiday Accommodation

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of second homes in England are used as holiday homes or weekend homes, in each Council Tax Band.

Stuart Andrew: The Department does not collect information on the use of second homes that are liable for council tax. However, Table 2 from the 2021 Council Taxbase statistical release provides the number of second homes that are liable for council tax by council tax band. The release can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-taxbase-2021-in-england .

Homes England: Staff

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether Homes England has introduced a blanket ban on staff from standing as councillors in the forthcoming May 2022 elections.

Stuart Andrew: The Board and the Executive of Homes England consider and keep conflicts of interest under review.With regard to standing in local elections, due to the nature of local authorities working relationships with Homes England the agency has taken the view that this is not a manageable conflict, including due to the impact on public perception.

Homes England: Staff

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the power to designate staff as being in the (a) politically free, (b) politically restricted, and (c) politically intermediate groups has been delegated to Homes England.

Stuart Andrew: The categorisations referenced in the question are related to the Civil Service Code, which does not apply to Homes England staff as they are not civil servants. However, in line with the requirements of Managing Public Money (section 4.9.3), Homes England are required to strive for similar standards, appropriate to their context.The Homes England Framework Document (para. 31.1) requires the Homes England board to ensure that 'Policies and procedures are in place consistent with the Cabinet Office's Model Code for Staff of Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies'.This means that it is for Homes England to put in place rules around political activity for their staff. This is set out in Homes England's Conflicts of Interest Policy, communicated to all staff.

Building Regulations: Letter Boxes

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to introduce building regulations banning the positioning of letter boxes at a low level.

Stuart Andrew: Statutory guidance refers to independent guidance on letter plates which states they should be positioned in a range of 700 millimetres up to 1700 millimetres. To improve matters, our review of access to and use of buildings, with Part M of the building regulations, includes ergonomic research looking at level options for posting and picking up letters. Government will also soon be consulting on options to increase security in existing homes, looking at the statutory guidance on doors.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the comparative cost of a new local authority-built (a) two bedroom flat and (b) a three bedroom house.

Stuart Andrew: The Government recognises the cost of delivering affordable housing and has given councils the tools they need to build more homes. In the Levelling Up White Paper, we committed to reviewing how to support councils to deliver in greater numbers, alongside housing associations.It is for councils to determine the size, type and tenure of the homes they build.

Camping Sites: Permitted Development Rights

Sir Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending temporary permitted development rights for pop-up campsites to summer 2022.

Stuart Andrew: To provide greater flexibility during coronavirus restrictions, a permitted development right was introduced to provide additional days for the temporary use of land, including camping.This has now expired. However, the original right remains, allowing for the temporary use of land for up to 28 days per calendar year.

Tenancy Agreements: Internet

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many times the (a) webpage hosting the Model Tenancy Agreement has been visited and (b) Model Tenancy Agreement has been downloaded since 28 January 2021.

Eddie Hughes: Since 28 January 2021, The Model Tenancy Agreement webpage has received 169,679 page views. In the same timeframe, there have been 92,108 downloads of the online version of the document, and 61,390 downloads of the print version.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions and Homelessness

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of Ground 8 of the 1988 Housing Act on levels of (a) evictions and (b) homelessness.

Eddie Hughes: The Government publishes data on the causes of homelessness amongst households owed a prevention duty by their local council. Of the 31,210 households owed a prevention duty as a result of being at risk of homelessness in Q3 of 2021, 1,520 were at risk of homelessness due to an assured shorthold tenancy in the private rented sector ending due to rent arrears.We do not publish data on the number of evictions caused by use of each ground under section 8 of the 1988 Housing Act.

Homelessness: Migrants

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of the no recourse to public funds policy on homelessness levels; and if he will make a statement.

Eddie Hughes: The Government wants to ensure that local areas have the tools they need to support rough sleepers, including non-UK nationals with restricted eligibility, off the street.We do not collect data on immigration status but do collect information on the nationality of those on the street. The latest Annual Rough Sleeping Snapshot figures for autumn 2021 showed that 25% (610 people) of those sleeping rough on a single night were from outside the UK. We also collect monthly management information about the support for people sleeping rough which showed that as at the end of December 2021, 33% (1590 people) of those in emergency and short-term accommodation were from outside the UK.We have committed £2 billion over the next three years to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping and the Government has been clear that this funding can be used to help anyone, including those with restricted eligibility, as long as the local authority is acting within the law in doing so.Through the Rough Sleeping Initiative, we have provided over £200 million to local authorities to provide tailored local interventions for rough sleepers in their area. As part of this funding, local authorities can bid for support for individuals to determine or resolve their immigration status.We remain clear that councils and partners should exhaust all options within the law to support those who are unable to access statutory homelessness assistance as a result of their immigration status and to ensure everyone has a route off the street, including those with an No Recourse to Public Funds condition.

Social Rented Housing: Construction and Homelessness

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) housing benefit levels and (b) the benefit cap on (i) new starts of social housing and (ii) his Department's homelessness strategy.

Eddie Hughes: Government spends around £30 billion a year on housing support through Housing Benefit and Universal Credit. In April 2020, we boosted investment in the Local Housing Allowance by nearly £1 billion and have maintained LHA rates at this same cash level so that everyone who benefitted from this increase will continue to do so.The benefit cap provides a strong work incentive and fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and encourages people to move into work, where possible. The proportion of households capped remains low in comparison to the overall working age benefit with a caseload of 2.7%. Further data on the benefit cap can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-cap-statistics#latest-releaseOur £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow. Since 2010, we have delivered over 574,100 new affordable homes, including over 403,400 affordable homes for rent, of which over 154,600 are homes for social rent.We have made excellent progress on our manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping, with the number of people sleeping rough at an 8-year low.We will deliver a bold, new Rough Sleeping strategy which will set out how we will end rough sleeping, building on recent success ensuring rough sleeping is prevented in the first instance and is effectively responded to in the rare cases where it does occur.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit Section 21 evictions; and if he will make a statement.

Eddie Hughes: The Government remains committed to delivering a better deal for renters. We will publish a White Paper this Spring that will consult on introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard, explore a National Landlord Register and bring forward other measures to reset the relationship between landlords and tenants.The White Paper will provide further detail on repealing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, improving security for tenants by putting an end to evictions where the landlord does not have to provide a reason. We are undertaking extensive engagement with stakeholders to inform our plans ahead of publication and will bring forward legislation in due course.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Eddie Hughes: Throughout the pandemic, the Department and all Civil Service employers have followed government guidance in setting out their internal COVID-19 related policies. This includes complying with the Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance which sets out the key actions organisations should take to protect employees and customers in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in workplaces, along with carrying out health and safety risk assessments that include the ongoing risk from COVID-19.On 21 February 2022, the Government published their COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19. This document sets out how and when the remaining restrictions will be lifted in England. Government guidance was subsequently amended, including the Working Safely guidance.The Government's Working Safely guidance, which was last updated on 24 February, continues to require organisations to carry out a risk assessment which includes the risk from COVID-19. It also sets out additional actions organisations can take to protect employees and customers in the workplace, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, frequent cleaning, asking people to wash their hands frequently and asking people with COVID-19 to stay away. The guidance advises that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, when rates of transmission are high. The Department will continue to follow this guidance and align its policies accordingly.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the deadline is for local authorities to submit a local investment plan to his Department to unlock UK Shared Prosperity Fund funding from the year 1 tranche of that fund.

Neil O'Brien: The Government will publish a full Prospectus on the fund later in Spring 2022 in order for places to be fully equipped to write an Investment Plan.   The pre-launch guidance document provides further information on the overall focus of the fund, geographies over which the fund will operate and a summary of its investment priorities. This information will enable places to start planning and preparing for the full launch later in Spring 2022.

Homelessness: Temporary Accommodation

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of people registered as homeless in temporary accommodation.

Eddie Hughes: As of September 2021, the number of households in temporary accommodation in England was 96,060, and the number of families in temporary accommodation is at its lowest level since 2016.The Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. We have given local authorities £375 million this year through the Homelessness Prevention Grant to prevent homelessness and help more people sooner.This includes an exceptional top up for this financial year with an additional £65 million for local authorities to help vulnerable households with rent arrears to reduce the risk of them being evicted and becoming homeless.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to regenerate high streets and towns.

Neil O'Brien: Regenerating our high streets and town centres is essential to this Government’s commitment to level up the country. The Levelling Up White Paper includes measures to tackle vacant properties and announces 68 further places to receive tailored support from the High Streets Task Force. This builds on the comprehensive funding package already announced including the £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

Elections: Subversion

Cat Smith: What steps he is taking to prevent donations from groups or individuals based overseas from unduly influencing elections in the UK.

Kemi Badenoch: UK electoral law already sets out a stringent regime of donations controls to ensure that only those with a legitimate interest in UK elections, such as UK electors or UK-registered companies, can make political donations.Measures in the Elections Bill go even further to strengthen the controls against ineligible foreign spending on electoral campaigning.

Antisemitism

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of trends in the levels of anti-Semitism in the last 12 months.

Kemi Badenoch: The most recent official Hate Crime statistics, for the year ending March 2021, show that 22% of religious hate crime was targeted at Jewish people, or those perceived to be Jewish. This represents an increase to 1288 reported incidents from 1205 the previous year.Research published by the Community Security Trust also indicates a significant rise in incidents reported to them in 2021. Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we condemn it and are taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms.

Cabinet Office

Overseas Trade: Republic of Ireland

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) exports and (b) imports between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the hon. Member's Parliamentary Questions of 18 February 2022 is attached. UKSA response (pdf, 115.1KB)

Civil Servants: Industrial Health and Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential policy implications for the Civil Service of the Whitehall I and II longitudinal health surveys of civil servants.

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what response his Department made to the PCS union’s letter of 22 February 2021 regarding Whitehall Studies, Sick Leave and Sick Trigger Points.

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the average number of sick days taken by people in each grade of the Civil Service.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Civil Service has a range of measures in place to support the health and wellbeing of civil servants. These include access to advice from Occupational Health practitioners on how they can be supported to stay in or return to work as well as to counselling and support for a range of issues which may include the impacts of ill-health. The Civil Service proactively ensures that its policies reflect best practice on health and wellbeing by monitoring the latest research and emerging trends. The letter from PCS of 22 February 2021 was discussed during one of the regular discussions Cabinet Office has with the National Trade Union Committee - which includes PCS - on our policies to support the health, wellbeing and attendance of civil servants. The Cabinet Office publishes sickness absence management information for the Civil Service on an annual basis, including breakdowns by grade. The latest data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence

Civil Servants: Industrial Health and Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether policy initiatives were launched by his Department in response to the publication of the booklet, Work, Stress and Health: the Whitehall II Study, in 2004.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Due to data retention policies, the Cabinet Office does not hold the requested information.

Cabinet Office: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Throughout the pandemic, all Civil Service employers have followed government guidance in setting out their internal COVID-19 related policies. This includes complying with the Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance which sets out the key actions organisations should take to protect employees and customers in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in workplaces, along with carrying out health and safety risk assessments that include the ongoing risk from COVID-19. On 21 February 2022, the Government published their COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19. This document sets out how and when the remaining restrictions will be lifted in England. Government guidance was subsequently amended, including the Working Safely guidance. The Government’s Working Safely guidance continues to require organisations to carry out a risk assessment which includes the risk from COVID-19. It also sets out additional actions organisations can take to protect employees and customers in the workplace, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, frequent cleaning, asking people to wash their hands frequently and asking people with COVID-19 to stay away. The guidance advises that people continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed settings where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, when rates of transmission are high. Civil Service employers will continue to follow this guidance and align their policies accordingly.

Cabinet Office: Newspaper Press

David Linden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2022 to Question 127516, on Cabinet Office: Newspaper Press, for what reasons that answer did not provide the date on which the article was cleared in draft with the No. 10 Press and Private Offices.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 February to Question PQ 122799.

Cabinet Office: Newspaper Press

David Linden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2022 to Question 127518, on Cabinet Office: Newspaper Press, for what reason ministerial correspondence emails were not provided as points of contact in the original article which appeared in the Sun newspaper and online.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2022 to question PQ 127518.

Infected Blood Compensation Framework Study

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to Answer of 24 February 2022 to Question 125039, what plans he has to publish Sir Robert Francis' Infected Blood compensation framework study before the publication of the Government's response.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will confirm that the compensation study for the victims of the contaminated blood scandal will be published in full on the 14 March 2022; and whether the Government has plans to publish a timeline for the response to that report.

Michael Ellis: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 24 February to PQ 125060.

Treasury

VTB Bank

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason a 30 day licence has been granted giving permission for any individual or entity to wind down any transactions with Russian bank VTB until 27 March.

John Glen: The general licence INT/2022/1272278 (Wind Down Positions Involving VTB) was issued on 25 February to allow for an orderly wind down of contracts with the bank, which was designated on 24 February. The general licence permits only the wind down of existing activity for third parties and expires on 27 March 2022. The general licence has been granted to reduce disruption in the UK financial system, not to permit VTB to proactively exit positions. It ensures that VTB will not benefit from a situation where UK persons cannot close out their positions or wind down transactions involving the bank.

Events Industry: Non-domestic Rates

David Warburton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the impact of business rates on the economic viability of music venues.

Lucy Frazer: The Government is delivering a tax cut worth almost £1.7 billion for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses in 2022-23. Eligible properties will receive 50 per cent off their business rates bill, up to a maximum of £110,000 per business. Combined with small business rates relief, this means over 90 per cent of retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses will receive at least 50 per cent off their rates bills in 2022-23. The multiplier has also been frozen for a further year, which is a tax cut worth £4.6 billion to businesses over the next 5 years.

Tax Avoidance

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the independent review of Loan Charges published on 3 December 2020, whether he plans to commission a new review to examine the Loan Charge in the context of promoters of these schemes as well individuals using these schemes.

Lucy Frazer: An independent review of the Loan Charge has already taken place. The 2019 Review, which was conducted by Lord Morse, concluded that it was right for the Loan Charge to remain in force and for the Government to collect the tax due. The Government accepted 19 of the 20 recommendations in the Review, including those related to the promoters of schemes. Following the Review, HMRC published its strategy to challenge and deal with promoters of tax avoidance schemes. A key part of this strategy is to disrupt the business models of promoters of disguised remuneration and other tax avoidance schemes and use every tool available to prevent them marketing their schemes. HMRC has a range of legislative powers to tackle promoters, under three main regimes: Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes, Promoters of Tax Avoidance Schemes, and the Enablers penalty. Penalties can be charged for various failures to comply with the requirements of these regimes. The Government recognises that there is more to do to stop promoters from selling their schemes. Finance Acts 2021 and 2022 introduced new measures that will help HMRC to take action more quickly.

Further Education: VAT

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to give further education corporations the same VAT status as Multi Academy Trusts and 16 to 19 Free Schools.

Lucy Frazer: Under UK VAT rules, the supply of education is outside the scope of VAT, as a non-business activity, if provided without a charge. When a charge is applied, it is exempt from VAT if provided by certain eligible bodies, usually not-for-profit. This includes universities, sixth form colleges, further education colleges, and other educational providers that comply with regulations set by the UK Government. Local Authority maintained schools, as well as voluntary controlled, community, and foundation schools are all able to reclaim any VAT incurred on the costs of the provision of education through a refund scheme provided under section 33B of the VAT Act 1994. This ensures that the burden of VAT does not otherwise fall on local taxation. Academies and free schools are also covered by the VAT refund scheme; this is to ensure that institutions leaving Local Authority control are not at a financial disadvantage due to their change in status. Sixth form colleges and further education colleges are not included in the section 33B refund scheme. Like many other providers of public services, they are expected to cover their VAT costs from their funding allocations, which include these VAT costs. Sixth form colleges have the choice to restructure as academies, enabling the recovery of VAT under the refund scheme, but many choose not to. While the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no current plans to change these provisions.

Refugees: Ukraine

Maria Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has introduced any exemptions to the current documentary requirements to allow the process of delivering aid to EU countries to assist Ukrainian refugees to be expedited in particular in relation to MRN numbers.

Lucy Frazer: Businesses and individuals sending goods as in kind donations to assist Ukrainian refugees have to follow UK export guidance and comply with any import rules in the EU or other country that the goods are going to. UK businesses can contact the Export Support Service by phone or online for advice. The Government understands that people in the UK want to help. The Government advises that businesses and individuals should give money through trusted charities and humanitarian aid organisations, rather than donating in kind assistance, such as blankets and clothing. Trusted humanitarian partners will be regularly assessing the need and delivering the assistance required to meet those needs. The Disasters Emergency Committee appeal can be found here: https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal.

Energy: VAT

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2022 to Question 125532 on Energy: VAT, if he will make an estimate of the potential increase in the tax take through VAT on household energy bills by October 2022.

Lucy Frazer: As set out in the answer to PQ UIN 125532, high energy prices reduce VAT revenues. In recognition that families should not have to bear all the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, domestic fuels such as gas and electricity are already subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on energy where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that on average have a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall.

Car Allowances

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the tax free mileage allowance in the context of rising fuel prices.

Lucy Frazer: The Government sets the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rates to minimise administrative burdens. Organisations are not required to use the AMAPs rates. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising. Alternatively, they can choose to use a different mileage rate that better reflects their employees’ circumstances. However, tax is charged on any payment received by employees which exceed the AMAPs rate. The Government keeps this policy under review.

Revenue and Customs: Coronavirus

Chris Stephens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2022 to Question 126706 on Treasury: Coronavirus, if he will make it his policy to require individual risk assessments for all employees at Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before they return to the workplace following the easing of covid-19 restrictions; and how many individual risk assessments for people returning to work have been conducted by HMRC as of 2 March 2022.

Lucy Frazer: Throughout the pandemic HMRC have, in line with UK and Devolved Administration Guidance, made the Health & Safety (H&S) of employees their top priority, and put in place robust control measures to deliver on that. Measures include facilitating working at home where possible and providing a range of mental health and wellbeing services for employees wherever they are based. HMRC ensured suitable ventilation and additional cleaning in their workplaces, as well as the mandation of the wearing of face coverings in their Scottish offices. For offices in the other UK nations, there was an expectation that face coverings would be worn from Summer 2021 to January 2022. The HMRC Chief Executive gave notice on 31 January 2022 that from 28 February colleagues in England and Scotland will move to new ‘hybrid’ ways of working. As greater numbers of HMRC employees return to the workplace, the Department has put in place a ‘Return to Office Discussion Toolkit’. This gives managers and employees an opportunity to consider health, safety, and wellbeing in the context of the employees’ personal circumstances, to identify any concerns, and the right next steps and solutions. The Toolkit includes an Individual Risk Assessment, which can be used to help employees and managers understand the cumulative risk, to consider what additional controls can be put in place, and to make an informed decision about next steps. If any concerns are identified after working through the individual risk assessment, professional Occupational Health advice and welfare support is available. Completing the Individual Risk Assessment is not mandated in HMRC, which reflects the Scottish Government Guidance position that employers “should continue to conduct individual risk assessments … where necessary”. This remains the position going forward, subject to any changes in UK or Devolved Administration Government Guidance. As part of the Toolkit and risk assessment process, HMRC have recognised that there may be some colleagues who need additional flexibility and support as part of their return to the office. Therefore, HMRC managers have the flexibility and discretion to support employees with plans that might run to a slightly longer timeframe. The ‘Supported Returns Plan Toolkit’ allows additional time to enable solutions to be put in place for the employee’s return to the office, as well as the continuation of support for them, such as additional utilities, travel expenses, and London pay easement, where applicable. Whilst HMRC requires each manager and employee to have a Toolkit-led conversation as part of return to office planning, they do not retain records of how many individual risk assessments for people returning to work have been conducted.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support the Government is providing to extremely clinically vulnerable people who continue to shield and (a) are unable to seek employment and (b) are not in receipt of benefits because of the earnings of another household member.

Lucy Frazer: The successful rollout of the vaccination programme and the emergence of proven treatments, along with our improved understanding of the virus and the clinical risks it poses, means that those previously classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) are no longer advised to shield. Most people who were previously identified as CEV respond well to the vaccine and should follow the same guidance as the general public on staying safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do. Those identified as CEV may also receive additional advice from their health professional.The Government has provided separate guidance for the smaller number of people whose immune system means they remain at higher risk: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk.Many individuals who were previously identified as CEV will have a disability or long-term health condition, meaning that they may be entitled to non-means tested disability benefits. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is the Government’s primary means of supporting working age adults with the extra costs arising from long-term ill health and disability. PIP is paid regardless of household income and irrespective of whether someone is in work. The Government will spend over £12.2 billion to support 2.1 million working age people on PIP in 2021-22.

Cryptocurrencies

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of cryptocurrencies on tax receipts to his Department.

Lucy Frazer: The Government is committed to retaining its global leadership position in fintech and to creating a regulatory environment that allows people to use innovative technologies reliably and safely, while protecting against the risks of them being exploited by criminals. Businesses trading in or using cryptoassets are taxed on their trading profits. Where a person realises Chargeable Gains from increases in the value of cryptoassets, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) or Corporation Tax on Chargeable Gains may be due. If CGT applies, only Chargeable Gains above the Annual Exempt Amount are taxed. Cryptoassets can be easily acquired and transferred, including across borders, and while the blockchain provides a transparent and immutable record of transactions, it does not usually record the identity of the owners of cryptoassets. HMRC has developed its capability to take advantage of opportunities that the blockchain offers for forensic compliance work in order to identify those that have failed to declare their gains. HMRC continues to actively monitor the compliance risks as the use of cryptoassets develops.

Treasury: Public Expenditure

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) list the spending programmes his Department devolves for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies and (b) specify the value for each programme for every year for which budgets are agreed.

Mr Simon Clarke: HM Treasury does not devolve any spending programmes directly to local government in England. The Treasury supports other government departments to deliver their programmes, in conjunction with local government partners.

Regional Planning and Development: Devolution

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will increase funding through the Barnett consequentials to support levelling up in the devolved Administrations.

Mr Simon Clarke: The UK Government will provide direct levelling up support in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Levelling Up Fund. The devolved administrations are also receiving additional funding through the Barnett formula, with the 2021 Spending Review settlements the largest since devolution. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their funding across their devolved responsibilities, including to support levelling up.

Wines: Excise Duties

Ms Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of still wine sold in the UK that will be subject to a potential increase in duty under the Alcohol Duty Review; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Government’s proposed changes to alcohol excise duty on duty receipts from (a) beer, (b) cider, (c) spirits and (d) wine and sparkling wine made from fresh grapes; if he will place a copy of this assessment in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has had discussions with the UK wine industry's (a) domestic producers and (b) importers on the potential scope to reduce the alcoholic content of wine made from fresh grapes; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: Costings for this policy were announced at Autumn Budget 2021 and can be accessed via the following link on page 12: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1029980/Policy_Costings_Document_FINAL.pdf The Treasury is continuing to engage with the UK wine industry on these reforms and is interested in understanding the administrative and economic impacts on businesses. Further detail about the impact of alcohol duty reforms on industry will be included in a tax information and impact note when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.

Cryptocurrencies: Russia

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that cryptocurrency cannot be used to make purchases in the UK by (a) individuals sanctioned due to the war between Russia and Ukraine and (b) the Russian state to buy war materials within the UK.

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating additional identification requirements for people making purchases from UK-based businesses using cryptocurrencies to help prevent (a) individuals and (b) the Russian state avoid sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

John Glen: Under the Money Laundering Regulations, cryptoasset exchanges and custodian wallet providers operating in the UK must conduct customer due diligence checks to verify a customer’s identity and, where applicable, the beneficial owner of the customer, and ascertain the nature of the business relationship or transaction. This includes checking that the prospective customer is not subject to sanctions, and does not intend to use the business relationship or transaction for criminal purposes, such as unlicensed arms dealing. Where the customer is a Politically Exposed Person or is deemed otherwise high-risk of being involved in money-laundering or sanctions evasion, the firm must conduct Enhanced Due Diligence. These requirements are in line with the globally agreed recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. The Financial Conduct Authority has contacted cryptoasset firms to make clear their obligations in relation to preventing sanctions evasion, and the government will continue to consider what more can be done to further reduce the risk of sanctioned individuals or entities using cryptoassets.

Energy Bills Rebate

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2022 to Question 127250 on Energy Bills Rebate, what mechanism his Department will introduce to recoup the £200 energy bill reduction for people with pre-payment meters.

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2022 to Question 126560 on Energy Bills Rebate, whether his Department plans to (a) put a lump sum of £200 on the meters of people that use pre-payment meters or (b) use the tariffs set by energy companies to do that.

Helen Whately: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will work closely with industry and consumer groups to ensure pre-payment customers receive the £200 reduction from October in a way that is convenient for them. BEIS will consider how best to recoup the reduction from customer bills, including for pre-payment meter customers. This will be done through a public consultation in the spring.

Business Banking Resolution Service

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much compensation has been paid out as a result of cases completed by the Business Banking Resolution Service.

John Glen: The Business Banking Resolution Service (BBRS), which launched on 15 February 2021, offers a free, independent service which is designed to settle unresolved complaints that are not eligible for the FOS. The Government has always been clear that it welcomes the BBRS, and we continue to closely monitor its progress. However, it is an independent non-governmental body, and this independence is vital to its role. Its credibility, authority and value to SMEs would be undermined if it were possible for the Government to intervene in its decision-making or detailed operational matters. As a result of its independence, the Government does not hold detailed information on financial awards paid out to small businesses. However, the latest BBRS reporting data is available publicly at: https://thebbrs.org/news/bbrs-reporting-data-as-of-the-close-of-business-31-january-2022/.

Developing Countries: Debts

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to engage with the German G7 Presidency on agreeing a common approach to (a) debt relief and (b) debt sustainability for debt-distressed developing countries.

John Glen: In November 2020, the UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club, agreed the Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI with the aim of delivering a long-term, sustainable approach to dealing with debt vulnerabilities. For countries that make a request to the Common Framework, treatments can include both the reprofiling of debt or a full restructuring, which, depending on need, may entail debt cancellation. This should enable more efficient, equitable, and effective case-by-case restructurings, allowing low-income countries requesting debt treatment to benefit from a transparent and responsive approach. Progress in implementing the Common Framework has been a regular feature in the Chancellor’s discussions in the G7 and G20. In its February 2022 communique, the G20 reiterated its commitment to step up efforts to implement the Common Framework in a timely, orderly and coordinated manner. The UK is highly supportive of this goal and will continue to support efforts to achieve this.

Developing Countries: Debts

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the (a) aggregate and (b) per country impacts on debt service costs to the Debt Service Suspension Initiative countries of (i) the planned end of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative in 2022, (ii) the exhaustion of the August 2021 Special Drawing Rights allocation to these countries and (iii) expected increases in global interest rates in 2022.

John Glen: The Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) was designed as a short-term initiative to tackle the immediate financing needs of eligible countries. Preliminary estimates suggest that the DSSI has suspended over $12.9 billion in debt service repayments. Recognising that many countries still face debt vulnerabilities at the end of the DSSI the UK, along with the G20, also agreed a new Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI, designed to provide more efficient, equitable and effective debt treatments. The UK is fully committed to implementing the Common Framework in coordination with our international partners. The UK was a strong proponent of the unprecedented general allocation of $650bn in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) which provided a much-needed liquidity boost to vulnerable countries. SDRs will either be held by countries as reserve buffers or converted into hard currency to support budgetary spending. We welcome the forthcoming IMF report that will review and enhance transparency on the use of SDRs. As interest rates rise through the year and global financial conditions tighten, the most vulnerable countries (including many DSSI countries) are likely to find it more challenging to meet debt repayments and finance ongoing operations. DSSI-eligible countries that face unsustainable debt burdens should seek debt treatment under the G20’s Common Framework.

G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to influence the implementation of the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments to improve (a) timeliness of processes, (b) engagement with debt-distressed countries at earlier stages, (c) transparent estimates by the International Financial Institutions of debt relief requirements for each eligible country, and (d) participation by private creditors.

John Glen: In November 2020, the UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club, agreed the Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI with the aim of delivering a long-term, sustainable approach to dealing with debt vulnerabilities. The Common Framework considers debt treatments on a case-by-case basis, driven by requests from eligible debtor countries. In its February 2022 communique, the G20 reiterated its commitment to step up efforts to implement the Common Framework in a timely, orderly and coordinated manner. The UK plays an active role in these discussions through the G7, G20 and the Paris Club. Our priority is to work with our G20 partners to ensure swift progress and effective implementation of debt treatments under the Framework. The G20 has also been explicit that under the Common Framework private sector creditors will also be expected to implement debt treatments on comparable terms to those agreed by official creditors like the UK. We are focussed on ensuring that the private sector fully plays its part in any debt treatments under the Framework.

Wines: Excise Duties

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the evidential basis for his Department's decision to use 11.5 per cent as the median Alcohol by Volume point for changes in duty on wine in the Alcohol Duty Review.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish his assessment of the median point of ABV of wine sold in the UK by volume over the last five years.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment for (a) taxation generation, (b) impact on business, and (c) health outcomes of using median points above or below 11.5 per cent for changes in duty on wine in the Alcohol Duty Review.

Helen Whately: The Government believes the proposed single duty rate for wine strikes an appropriate balance between the current duty rates on still, sparkling and fortified wine. Further detail about the impact of alcohol duty reforms on revenue, businesses and public health will be included in a tax information and impact note when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.

Agriculture: Red Diesel

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential viability of changing the entitlement for farmers’ use of red diesel for a single day of ploughing competition.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with farmers on the impact of the current entitlement for farmers’ use of red diesel during ploughing competitions.

Helen Whately: The Chancellor confirmed at Spring Budget 2021 that the Government will remove the entitlement to use red diesel for most uses from April 2022, other than for defined agricultural purposes and a limited number of other uses. This will help to ensure fairness between the different users of diesel fuels and that the tax system incentivises the development and adoption of greener alternative technologies. Agricultural vehicles will be entitled to run on rebated fuel after April 2022 for purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fish farming. They will also be able to use rebated fuel when cutting verges and hedges that border a road, clearing snow, gritting, and clearing or otherwise dealing with flooding. The activities accepted as purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture and forestry are defined in HMRC Excise Notice 75. As agricultural shows and ploughing matches provide information and education that benefits agricultural purposes, the Government considers that running or participating in these activities are purposes relating to agriculture, for which rebated fuel may be used in qualifying vehicles and machines, and will be updating Excise Notice 75 accordingly. Rebated fuel can also be used to travel to and from where the vehicles or machines are to be used for these activities.c

Question

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the potential additional value to the Exchequer of VAT on fuel arising from the expected increase in energy prices from April 2022.

Lucy Frazer: High energy prices reduce VAT revenues. In recognition that families should not have to bear all of the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, domestic fuels such as gas and electricity are already subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on energy where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that have on average a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall. The Government is providing significant financial support – up to £350 – to the majority of households, which will cover more than half of the forecast £700 rise in energy bills for the average household. This support is worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Misinformation: Russia

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister, Official Report, Thursday 24 February 2022, volume 709, what plans she has to address Russian state-sponsored misinformation.

Chris Philp: The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. The Counter Disinformation Unit is working closely with the new Government Information Cell (GIC) to identify and counter Russian disinformation targeted at UK and international audiences. The GIC brings together expertise from across government including - but not limited to - FCDO, MoD, DCMS and CO experts in assessment and analysis, disinformation, and behaviour and attitudinal change.We have been working closely with the major social media platforms to monitor and share information as the situation in Ukraine develops. We have made clear the seriousness of the current situation and the importance of cooperating at speed on countering these threats including swiftly removing disinformation and coordinated inauthentic or manipulated behaviour which is against their terms of service and promoting authoritative content.As the Secretary of State set out in her statement to Parliament on 3 March, RT's broadcast news channel has been shut down on Freeview, Freesat and Sky. The Government welcomes the action Youtube has taken to prevent access to RT in the UK and the Secretary of State has written to other major platforms, including Meta and TikTok on this subject asking them to do all they can in preventing access to RT in the UK.

Social Media: Russia

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential sanctions that can be imposed on social media companies that fail to tackle disinformation from Russian-backed sources relating to the war in Ukraine.

Chris Philp: As the Secretary of State set out in her statement on 3 March, we have been engaging regularly with the major platforms, who have taken a number of positive steps in response to the situation. Apple has paused all product sales in Russia, Google has added new safeguarding features to Google Maps and Search and Whatsapp is hosting a helpline for Ukraine’s State Emergency Service that sends people information and critical news about the local situation.From the moment the Russian President began his invasion, we have been clear that he must not be allowed to exploit our open and free media to spread damaging propaganda in Britain. This is especially true in the case of RT, whose own Editor-in-Chief has called the network an “information weapon” of the Russian state. We welcome the action Youtube has taken to prevent access to RT in the UK, and the Secretary of State has written to other major platforms, including Meta and TikTok, calling on them to take action to block access to RT on UK services.In addition, the Counter Disinformation Unit continues to works closely with platforms to flag specific pieces of disinformation and have them removed where they violate a platform's terms of service.

Fraud: Advertising

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that large (a) tech and (b) social media companies take legal responsibility for preventing scam ads from running on their sites.

Julia Lopez: We recognise the devastating impact of scam adverts on people in the UK. The Department is determined to take action to ensure that, where advertising is used as a mechanism to perpetrate fraud, there is a strong regulatory framework to combat it.The Government remains deeply concerned about the psychological and financial impact of fraudulent advertising, and has engaged widely with stakeholders on this issue. The draft Online Safety Bill has been subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee which reported with its recommendations, including on scam ads, on 14 December. We will consider the Committee’s recommendations and are committed to introducing the Bill as soon as possible.Through the Online Advertising Programme, my Department will tackle the range of challenges posed by online advertising, including fraud. This work will include ensuring that all actors involved take responsibility to tackle this problem, including large ad funded platforms and social media companies who are not currently regulated. The Online Advertising Programme consultation will launch imminently, after which we will seek the earliest possible legislative vehicle to bring forward reform.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Public Expenditure

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will (a) list the spending programmes her Department devolves for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies and (b) specify the value for each programme for every year for which budgets are agreed.

Julia Lopez: DCMS does not devolve any funds for administration to local government and other local spending bodies (taking local spending bodies to denote local government structures); however there are programmes managed by DCMS from which some funds are provided to local government and local spending bodies. These include the below:5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “Urban Connected Communities Project”Trials new 5G services and applications to individuals and businesses.5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “5G Create” schemeAims to explore and develop new use-cases and 5G technical capabilities.Building Digital UK SuperfastAims to ensure that delivery of superfast broadband can reach a number of under-served local areas.Cultural Investment FundInvests in cultural infrastructure, local museums and neighbourhood libraries to benefit communities across the country.Life Chances FundProvides top up contributions to outcomes-based contracts involving social investment, referred to as Social Impact Bonds.Local Digital Skills Partnerships Catalyst FundBrings government together with national and local businesses and charities to address the digital skills gap in a collaborative way.Local Full Fibre NetworksAims to stimulate investment, create UK digital leadership, and drive productivity and growth in UK digital products and services.Rural Connected Communities competitionFunds 5G research and development projects.UK City of CultureInvites places across the UK to set out their vision for culture-led regeneration and takes place every four years.Youth Investment FundAims to create, expand and improve local youth facilities and their services, in order to drive positive outcomes for young people.

BBC and Public Service Broadcasting: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to guarantee that funding for the BBC and public sector broadcasting will continue in response to the continuous broadcasting BBC World Service and BBC News are providing over the Ukrainian crisis.

Julia Lopez: The Government recognises the vital role that the BBC, including the World Service, plays across the globe. The Secretary of State has already offered her heartfelt thanks and admiration to all those journalists, including those working for the BBC, who are risking their lives to bring us unbiased and accurate news from a live war zone in Ukraine.On 17 January, the Secretary of State announced in Parliament that the licence fee will be frozen for the next two years, and will rise in line with inflation for the following four years. This means the BBC will continue to receive billions in public funding from the licence fee every year.The Secretary of State has made it clear to the BBC in her letter confirming the final licence fee settlement that it should continue to make a substantive investment from the licence fee into the World Service to ensure that it continues to effectively reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world - in English and through its language services. As set out in the Framework Agreement the BBC should continue to agree objectives, priorities and targets for the World Service with the Foreign Secretary, as well as the languages in which the World Service is to be provided, and any changes to these matters. The World Service’s Spending Review settlement for the period 2022 to 2025 from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be confirmed shortly.

Television: Children

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to support children’s television industry after the closure of the Youth Audience Content Fund.

Julia Lopez: The UK Government is committed to ensuring that young listeners and viewers benefit from a modern system of public service broadcasting (PSB) that remains relevant and can continue to meet the needs of UK audiences in the future. That is why we are conducting a strategic review of PSB – drawing on the work of Ofcom, the Select Committees in both Houses of Parliament, and the government’s own expert PSB Advisory Panel – to work out how best to achieve this in light of the challenges the sector is currently facing.The three-year pilot Young Audiences Content Fund was designed to test a new way of financing public service TV content. A full evaluation of the pilot Fund will take place following its conclusion to determine its impact on the children’s television industry and the provision and plurality of public service content for young audiences across the UK. The potential of further investment of public funding will be assessed against the Fund evaluation and alongside future public service broadcasting needs.

COP26

Climate Change and Environment Protection

Dan Carden: To ask the President of COP26, what steps he plans to take to create a joint strategy for tackling climate change and and protecting the natural environment following COP26.

Alok Sharma: The UK Government is committed to taking bold action to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. However, we are clear that countries cannot tackle environmental and climate crises alone; we need a concerted global effort. The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use is an unprecedented commitment from 142 countries, covering over 91% of global forests, to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. It’s underpinned by almost $20bn of public and private finance, by sustainable trade and by support for indigenous peoples’ rights. We will work with other countries that endorsed the Declaration to convert this political commitment into strong action on forests and land use. This will include working through multilateral events in 2022 such as meetings of the G7 and G20, and at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Women and Equalities

Government Equalities Office: Information Officers

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the (a) full-time equivalent headcount and (b) outturn expenditure was on communications for her Department in each of the last three financial years.

Kemi Badenoch: Equality Hub communications is managed by the Government Equalities Office (GEO), and as such staff and budget sit within the GEO. The headcount and outturn expenditure is as follows:a)  Full-time equivalent headcount18-1919-2020-2191211b) Outturn expenditure on communications for her Department in each of the last three financial years18-1919-2020-21£131,216£89,849£112,233

Equal Pay

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting employers from requesting salary history from new employees in an effort to help tackle the replication of pay gaps between organisations.

Kemi Badenoch: There is growing evidence to show that, when pay is negotiable, asking applicants to disclose previous salary information increases the risk that historic disparities will be replicated. This is also the case when employers fail to provide clear salary information within their job adverts.Both practices, when taken together, can limit an applicant’s ability to understand the value of their skills, and prevent them from negotiating on a level playing field. This can be particularly detrimental to those applicants who have been historically paid less, and who may not benefit from the informal sharing of pay information; ultimately putting them at a disadvantage during salary negotiations.